A Life That Needs Saving
by spudtrooper
Summary: In this story the Walker kids are all grown up. Angela is attending Harvard, Cooper a senior in high school. However Cooper is in trouble with the law. Can Walker save his son before it's too late? COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story that just popped in my head while taking a break from Hostages. I LOVE characterization, and thought that I would do a story centered around that. In this story, Walker's son is a criminal. I know, I know, but I thought I could dive into it and see what I come up with. Not sure if I will swim or drown on this one, so bear with me. :) This story will only be through Walker and Cooper's perspective.  
**

Being Ranger Walker's child was no easy feat, there was just too much pressure to succeed. His oldest sister, Angela managed to do so with great success and now was attending Harvard to hopefully get her degree in business law. As for Cooper, he just wanted to make it through high school. Which at this moment looked to be a near impossible goal. Didn't help he skipped days here and there and really never bothered to do any schoolwork. This irritated his parents who valued education and wanted him to go to college.

He huffed at this thought then flicked his cigarette to the asphalt, a habit he picked up at age thirteen. His father always told him how smoking was rather unhealthy for him and that it ruined his lungs. Cooper didn't care, after all he still didn't know what he was going to do with his life. Maybe he could do something with music, which he loved or just lay around for awhile to see what comes up. So, far he managed to get by thanks to shoplifting and theft. Man, if his father knew he was involved in a large theft ring he wouldn't hear the end of it.

The wind blew against his back as he sat on the low cement wall adjacent to a hamburger joint. His friend, Brett Hagen, who was twenty years old worked part-time, not to help with living expenses, but with his expensive hobby. Brett had begun to use heroin a year ago and had tried to get Cooper hooked as well. He did try a few times, but he didn't like the way it made him feel. However he did shoot up now and then just out of boredom.

Cooper took out another cigarette, checked his watch then lit the tip. He took a long drag then slowly blew the smoke out of his nose. He flicked the ashes to the ground then glanced around him as a feeling of dread washed over him. Why did he have to inherit the "Cherokee sense" from his father? Granted it had saved his life on numerous occasions, but it was rather annoying. Couldn't he be just like any other teenager, without a care in the world.

The feeling slowly went away and he began to relax once again. His attention went to a vehicle that pulled into the parking lot. He was about to ignore it, when he saw it was a grey pickup truck. How the hell did his father find him here? He cursed, took one last drag of his cigarette then jumped off the wall.

His father pulled around, parked in front of Cooper then got out, the frustration written clearly on his face. "Aren't you suppose to be in school!"

Cooper sighed heavily. "Dad, seriously, we've been through this before." He took a drag of his cigarette which was just now a butt then blew the smoke into his dad's face. "Just let me be."

"How many times have I told you that smoking…"

"Is bad for me. I know. I know." He threw what was left of his cigarette on the ground then turned his attention to the burger joint. "Listen, I'm waiting for Brett. So, can you leave?"

"No, I'm not going to leave!" His father stepped up to him with the glare that scared most criminals, however Cooper, who has seen this look more times then he could count, just rolled his eyes. "Now, come with me! You've got a lot of explaining to do!"

Cooper shook his head then stuck his hands into his jean pockets. "What is it this time?"

His father pointed to the truck. "Get inside the truck now." The tone of his voice made Cooper chuckle. "I'm serious. Cooper, just come with me."

Brett came around the corner, his eyes getting really wide. "Hey Coop, maybe I should…"

"No, it's all right. He was just leaving." Cooper shook his head. "Dad, don't try to stop me."

Walker had enough with his son's attitude and right now was the last straw. "Cooper Ezekiel Walker, get back here right now!" He used the voice he never used on his children and it appeared to have worked. Cooper paused in mid-stride, as for his kid's friend he actually ran away. "Get in the truck, now!"

Cooper back pedaled then turned around with a look of irritation on his face. "Seriously dad, that voice is not going to work on me." He smiled at Walker then faked a salute. "See ya, when I see ya. Tell mom I love her and Angela that I hate her."

"Cooper!" Walker tried to run after his son, however his right knee didn't allow him to. He watched in utter disbelieve as his son ran away from him. "Cooper, what did I do wrong?"

He limped back to his pick-up, got in then rested his head on the steering wheel. For five years he's been battling his son's rebellion and had hoped it was just a phase. Wonder what had happened to change his son so much…? Oh no, did that incident, eight years ago damage his son more emotionally than everybody had thought? He slammed his hand on the steering wheel, mad at himself for being so gullible all these years.

That day, several years ago was the worst experience in Walker's life. His hands began to wring the wheel as his mind thought about the unthinkable acts done to his son. At age nine, Cooper had been tortured by a local gang wanting revenge on Walker. They had burned him numerous times with cigarettes and had nearly beaten him to death. Then Walker offered himself to the gang, which helped with the release of his son. Instinctively his hand went to his right knee which he began to slowly rub hoping the deep ache would go away.

Cooper had survived that day, but he had to endure numerous surgeries and hours of therapy. For a while it appeared Cooper was all right, that he had managed to cope with what had happened to him that day. In fact, he bounced back so well the doctor's even had began to call him the little miracle boy. How could he have been so gullible?

"Dang it, Walker!" He slammed his hands once again on the wheel then shook his head at his own stupidity. "How could I have not seen it! The signs were right there!" His phone rang, disturbing him from his rant. Quickly he picked it up to see it was his close friend, Trivette. He flipped the phone open and tried to calm himself down before he spoke. "Hey, Trivette."

"Hey, was wondering if the family is still up for dinner tomorrow night?"

Walker slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, but Cooper won't be with us."

"Did he run away again?" Trivette's voice already confirmed his suspicions.

"Yeah." Walker rubbed his face then leaned back into his seat. "I think he's not coming back." Walker was rather surprised to hear the emotion in his voice. "I got to let Alex know."

"Hey, man are you okay?" Trivette sounded really worried. "What happened?"

Walker smiled at his friend's kindness. "I'm okay. See ya tomorrow night."

He could hear Trivette fumbling with his keys. "Where you at right now?"

"I said, I'm fine, Trivette. Don't worry about it." Though Walker knew very well his dear friend would hunt him down if he didn't tell him. "Paco's is just around the corner from where I'm at. I can see ya there in about twenty minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

**Four Blocks Away**

Still frustrated at his father, Cooper made his way down the busy street wondering what he's going to do for a place to stay. There was no way he will ever go back to his parents, especially with his father in the mood he's in. He took his ball cap out of his back pocket, put it on his head then flipped his hood up on his coat. Hopefully nobody will recognize him, he didn't want anymore lectures for the day.

He made it three blocks when the sense came over him once again. He tried to shrug it off when he heard shuffling behind him. Quickly he spun around to see Brett running up to him with Nate at his side. Cooper relaxed as his friend stepped up to him, shook his hand then pulled him forward to give him a pat on the back.

"You survived!" Brett shook his head as he stepped away. "Man, I have never heard your father yell like that. Gave me chills."

Cooper shook Nate's hand, patted him on the back then shrugged at his friends. "It was nothing. He tries to act all tough, but inside his heart he's a true softy."

Brett began to laugh. "I thought, he was going to go chase us!"

"With that bum knee of his, I'll be surprised to see him actually running." Cooper began to limp badly then attempted to run. This got his friends laughing hysterically. "Wait, I can't run!"

Brett doubled over he was laughing so hard. "That is hilarious!" He straightened back up then took a deep breath. "Anybody hungry? I just got paid and Paco's is just around the corner."

The feeling swept over Cooper once again, but he shrugged it off. "Sure, I'm starving."

**Paco's**

The small Mexican restaurant opened up ten years ago and has quickly become a staple in Dallas, especially for cops and troubled young people. The strangest thing about the place, it has almost become a neutral zone. A lot of struggling teens came to hang out, the police officers let them be knowing they had to eat as well. As Walker stepped in, the smell over took his nostrils and his stomach began to growl. The hostess showed him to a table, gave him a menu then left to get him a glass of water.

As he got the water Trivette came to the table and sat down. "So, what's going on, Walker?"

Walker took a sip of his water then shrugged. "It's Cooper. He ran away again."

Trivette shook his head. "Sorry to hear that. I wouldn't know what to do if Marcus or James ran away." He glanced up at the door as a group of teens walked in. "Speaking of, there he is now."

Walker quickly looked behind him to see Cooper walking in with Brett and Nate. He could tell his son was high on something by the bloodshot eyes and had a strong guess to what it was. Several weeks ago he had noticed puncture marks on his son's arms, signs he was injected something into his body. He has been meaning to talk to him about it, however it appeared he may not have that chance. Why did he ignore the signs?

"Listen, you've tried, Walker. But I think that day, when he was nine really messed him up mentally." Trivette said, honesty in his voice. "Sorry, but I've been keeping it in too long. Cooper needs help that you or Alex can't give him."

"I just wish I could do something." Walker took a deep breath as the waitress stepped up to their table. "I'll take a number two lunch special with chicken. Tea for the drink."

Trivette handed her his menu. "I'll take the same thing, but with cola for the drink."

Cooper stopped at Walker's table. "You would think you guys are some kind of couple." He laughed at his own joke. He saw Walker's hands slowly curl into a fist which made Cooper laugh even harder. "Oh, by the way, we've made the paper again." Cooper pulled out a rolled up newspaper from his back pocket then slammed it down on the table. "Looks like that precious program of yours is getting sued!"

With this his son gave him a laugh and made his way to the back of the restaurant. Walker put the paper aside since he has already read the news this morning. Apparently ten families had gotten together to sue Walker over having the program in school. Lucky for him, the parents who enjoyed Kickstart far out numbered the ones that didn't and from what he heard they began to write up a petition to save the program.

"Man, Walker what does Alex think about all this?" Trivette said thank you when the waitress handed them their drinks. "I know your relationship with her has been strained…"

Anger quickly swelled up inside Walker, but he had to control himself. It wasn't his friend's fault he and Alex argued, it was his. Ever since that day several years ago, Walker has been hiding his true feelings, never allowing anybody to pry into his true thoughts about what had happened. This irritated Alex who had thought he would talk to her about anything or everything. However, what he did to the gang's leader eight years ago will forever haunt him. Only a select group of people knew, one of them being Trivette. The Captain wanted to keep it that way, to save the Texas Ranger's reputation along with Walker's.

Walker took a drink of his tea then began to play around with his napkin. "Things are doing okay." He lied and he could see in Trivette's eyes that he didn't believe him. "We'll work it out, we always do."

Trivette slightly leaned forward. "Ever since that day, you haven't been the same. I'm worried about you Walker. You can't keep it locked up forever."

"I can try." His tone had an edge to it. "Can we drop it?"

His friend raised his hands. "Sure. What are your plans today?"

"Suppose to go to physical therapy." Walker sighed heavily. "Then, suppose to go to counseling." He shook his head. "It's been eight years since that day and they still want me to do monthly sessions."

Trivette began to play around with his napkin as well. "Listen, Walker you did something that day that still gives me shivers." He glanced down to look at his laced hands. "Didn't know you had that side of you, but I guess every man has it in them. Especially if their own son's life is at stake."

Walker sighed heavily then stood up just as his food reached the table. He took out his wallet, pulled out a twenty then threw it on the table. "I'm going to go."

"Walker." Trivette stood up and got in front of Walker. "You can't keep hiding from this."

"Who says I'm hiding." Walker shook his head. "Just let me be for awhile."

Cooper watched his father leave, limping as he always did towards the front door. He shook his head then returned to his chicken tacos. He had overheard his dad's conversation with Trivette which perked his interest ever so slightly about what had happened to him that day back when he was nine. What did his father do that would get Trivette so scared?

Nate patted his shoulder. "What's with your father?"

"I have no clue." Cooper instinctively began to finger the deep cigarette burns on his right forearm. He had a hint of his parents strained relationship for awhile now, but his father just confirmed it to Trivette. "What are you alls plans for tonight?" Asked Cooper, hoping to get off the subject of his father.

"Probably smoke it up, watch a few cheese-tastic eighties movies." Brett laughed then bit into his taco. "Though we should hit up the mall for a bit. Gotta make our quota for the month."

"That's right. Streck wanted five hundred from all of us, right?" Cooper kept his attention on Trivette who had sat down to finish his lunch. "That's going to be hard to do. Might have to do a little more then shoplifting and minor house thefts to reel that in."

Cooper finished his taco then wiped his hands. "Well, what are we waiting for. Let's get going."


	3. Chapter 3

**Later That Night**

The ranch house was rather quiet as Walker staggered in and he began to wonder if Alex finally had enough and left him. He threw his keys into the bowl by the door then limped into the kitchen to get dinner. He hadn't had anything to eat all day which left him slightly cranky. Slowly he went into the kitchen to see a note on the counter.

He picked it up and read it. "Honey, dinner is in the oven. Will be working late."

He smiled, pulled down the oven door to see a casserole of some kind sitting there ready to be cooked. Within seconds he started the oven preheat, took the dish out then sat it on the stove top. As he waited he sifted through the mail to find a few bills, junk mail and coupons. Once he threw away the junk mail he grabbed a glass from the cabinet and got himself ice tea.

Floorboards creaked behind him as steps made their way through his house. Slowly he placed the glass down onto the counter then made his way to the living room. He didn't see an intruder, but his instincts told him something was horribly wrong. His heart began to beat faster as he gradually inched his way through his house. As he reached the side hallway he quietly opened a small drawer where he kept one of his guns.

A loud beep echoed throughout the house, which made him jump. The oven, it was just the oven telling him it was through with the preheat. He took a deep breath realizing he was making too big a deal out of nothing. Since that day eight years ago, he was more paranoid. But this feeling, it didn't go away, in fact it just got stronger.

"Hello! Cooper!" He held the gun at his hip as he inched his way forward. "Whose there!"

He made his way back to the kitchen to see a black man standing at his stove. Shocked Walker raised his gun, aimed it at the man's head then began to glance around to see if there was any more men waiting in the shadows. The man turned to him with a smile, his hands laced behind his back. He was well dressed and appeared to have money by the jewelry hanging from his neck and in his ears.

"So, you are the infamous Ranger Walker." He took a step forward which got Walker to take off his gun's safety. "You're much older then I had thought. Loving the grey hair."

Walker took a step forward as well. "Who are you?"

"They call me Streck." The man rested his elbow on the counter, this time his hands laced in front of him. "Your son, owes me money." He saw Walker's shoulders slump forward and he smiled even bigger. "He's been doing work for me for three years now. Owes me $50,000." He glanced behind him as several footsteps came from the living room. "Won't hurt you seriously, just enough to get the message across."

A snap of chain made him turn around where he saw four men, all much bigger then he was. The one with the chain gave him a grin then nodded at the three behind him. Walker aimed at the man's arm, but he didn't fire his gun. After what he did to that kid eight years ago, he was on ten years of probation. His thinking left him open and the men rushed at him.

The chain slapped him hard against the right arm which made him loosen his grip on the gun. It clattered to the floor as another man tackled him to the ground. He began to punch at the man's head, connecting numerous times on the nose which eventually shattered. He then kicked out with his left leg, which has grown much stronger thanks to the injury to his right knee.

"This guy is not going to back down!" Shouted a man with a tattoo on his neck. He let out a string of curse words as Walker landed a kick to his groin. "Give up already!"

Walker grunted as a man held his right arm down. "Get out of my house!" He kicked out again with his left foot, connecting with a young man's face.

Streck stood over Walker and shook his head. "Hit his right leg. According to Mage he was shot in the knee several years back."

This got the bald headed man to laugh hysterically then pull out a small, thick club from within the inside of his coat. Walker's eyes got real wide and he began to fight even harder. He tried to pull his leg away from the man who held it, unfortunately his knee didn't allow for him to bend it freely. No, this can't be happening.

He let out a scream of agony as the club slammed against his bad knee with a crack. It hit again which made him wail out, the pain so strong it made him cry. The chain slammed against the side of his face, cutting into it deeply. Then came several punches to his face, one cleanly breaking his nose, the blood running down into his mouth.

"That's enough! Scooter, did you get that on film?" Ordered Streck.

"Yep, sure did. Looks good." The men released their hold on Walker, one kicked him in the side as he stood up. "Let's show this to Mage. He should be at the hangout later tonight."

Once he was sure the men had left his house Walker slowly set up, his right side sore from the kick. Very gingerly he rolled up his pant leg to see the damage down to his knee. As he pulled the pant leg up higher a thick, pink scar greeted him. He's had surgery on this knee four times and by the feel of it, he might now have to have a fifth one. The knee was bright pink with a hint of bruising already beginning to show. On top of that it has already began to swell and heat up.

He grimaced as he tried to bend the knee which then made him yell out in agony. "This can't be happening!" He grabbed his knee, which was hot to the touch then laid back down onto his back. "Cooper, what did you get yourself into? Where did I go wrong?"

**An Hour Later**

The house was nicely decorated all thanks to the money that Streck earned daily from the theft ring he ran and operated. Cooper made his way through the ranch style house till he got to the basement door. There he nodded his head at the guard stationed which allowed him entrance to Streck's place of work. He walked down the familiar flight of stairs till he reached the bottom floor where he turned left, straight into Streck's office.

Streck smiled at him then motioned for Cooper to sit down in front of his desk. "How much do you have for me, Mage?"

Cooper dug into his jeans pockets for the wad of cash he had. "Two hundred and thirty-two dollars." He handed the stack of bills to Streck who began to count them. "Now, can I leave?"

"Not quite yet, I would like to show you something." Streck slowly got up, headed towards a television set then pushed play. "We paid your father a little visit."

"WHAT!" Cooper quickly got up from his chair. "What for!"

"You owe me money. Now, sit down."

Cooper didn't really know what to say to this bit of news. Though he hated his father, wished him dead on most days the thought of him being hunted down by the man sitting in front of him got his blood to chill. The sound of his father talking to Streck brought his attention to the flat panel television which hung on the wall above the fireplace.

He watched on as Streck's men tackled his father to the ground and proceeded to fight with him. Cooper was amazed to see his father actually land a few punches to Goonie's face with enough force to break the man's nose. He almost laughed when his dad kicked Benny square in the groin. He could actually see Benny's face contort in pain as he fell to the ground.

His father let out a grunt as a man held his right arm down. "Get out of my house!" He kicked out again with his left foot, connecting with Julio's face.

Streck stood over his father and shook his head. "Hit his right leg. According to Mage he was shot in the knee several years back."

"No." All his joking around led to the moment on the television screen. He collapsed back into the chair as his father let out a blood curdling scream. Cooper could actually hear a crack as the knee broke. Goonie slammed the club one more time into his father's knee which got him to tear up. "What do you want, Streck?" He flinched as a large piece of chain hit his father's face.

"Thought you didn't care for him." Streck turned the television off then returned to his office chair where he sat down with a sigh. "He's alive. In pain, but alive."

Cooper's hands tightened into fists. "It doesn't mean that you can hurt him because of me."

Streck laughed. "Oh, yes it does." He tilted his head. "The similarities in you both are rather striking. But don't worry, you don't have much to live up to."

"Get to the point, Streck."

"Right." Streck smiled once again. "You owe me $50,000. Which I would like paid in full by the end of the year, which is seven months from now. If you don't, we will kill your father next time and then your mother."

"WHAT!" Cooper shook his head. "How do I owe you that much! I made my quota every month!"

"Heroin, marijuana. It doesn't come for free." He glanced up as Goonie came walking into the room, his nose swollen and bruised. "Also, for awhile I loaned you several thousand to help you with your financial situation." Cooper gave Streck a disbelieving look. "What? You thought they were gifts? Goonie, he's much stupider then I had thought."

Goonie cracked his knuckles. "Just a message, right?"

"That's right, don't kill him. Teach him his lesson in the back room. Don't want to ruin the carpet. Just had it cleaned."


	4. Chapter 4

**Walker's Residence**

The pain that shot up from his knee was intense enough to keep Walker completely immobile on the sofa. He had grabbed an ice pack from the freezer as he turned the oven off, but it quickly warmed up. He knew his knee was broken, which meant another surgery. He glanced down to see deep purple bruising all around his knee cap which has swelled immensely over the last thirty minutes. Wonder when Alex will arrive home?

He gently touched his nose which had clogged up with blood. "Cooper, what did you get yourself into?" He winced as his knee began to throb sending wave after wave of pain up his leg. His cell phone rang and he let out a groan. It was on the table by the front door. "Great."

Ever so slowly he got up off the sofa, grimacing as the movement made his knee to throb even more. He limped towards his phone irritated that he had left it on. Once he got there he grabbed the phone, checked the number and was rather surprised to see it was his son.

Quickly he pushed the talk button. "Cooper, is everything okay?"

"Dad, I screwed up." His son's voice was laced with pain and it sounded as though he was crying. "I got myself into something I don't know how to get out of."

Walker pushed the pain aside as he grabbed his keys. "Where are you at right now?"

"I'm at Go Stop on Haven." His son coughed a few times. "Dad, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I'll be right there. Don't you worry, everything will be okay."

Cooper let out a few sniffles. "But your knee. Can you drive?"

"Don't worry about me." Walker's voice was soft and reassuring. "I'll come pick you up."

**Go Stop Several Blocks Away**

After he hung up the phone Cooper collapsed to the ground, the pain in his chest making it hard for him to breath. The last time he was beaten like that was when he was nine years old and a hostage to several gang members. As Goonie slammed his fist over and over again into his body, flashes of what had happened to him as a kid kept going through his mind. It made him face his fears head on and the shell he had built up over the years came crashing down. And all he wanted right now was his father and mother.

He gingerly touched his nose which was clearly broken and clogged with blood. "Man, what did I get myself into?" He shook his head as he drew his knees to his aching chest. "How could I have been so stupid?"

It was three years ago when he got himself involved in Streck's theft ring, he was only fourteen. He felt as though he finally found a group of people that understood him, that truly excepted who he was and not as Ranger Walker's son. He had made several friends, at least he thought they were his friends. Now, he didn't know. What would Brett and Nate say about what happened to him tonight? Would they stick by his side or run away like so many others?

He began to cry softly as the child in him wanted his father's warm embrace. For eight years he never allowed himself to show weakness to any one, especially his father. His father took pride in the fact at age nine Cooper was able to put the horrible beating and torture behind him. That caused much resentment between the two of them. His father didn't deserve the treatment that Cooper gave him. He was just trying to raise his son as rightly as he could.

Time passed slowly and Cooper began to wonder where his father was. The old anger began to rise up inside him, which began to cloud his judgment. What was he thinking calling his dad like that? He isn't going to come and rescue him from his mistake. He always let Cooper learn the hard way, hardly ever meddling in his affairs.

"Hope you still like Coke." Came a calm, reassuring voice in front of him.

Cooper glanced up to see his father smiling down at him with a twenty ounce bottle of pop in his hands. "Dad, you came. But why?"

His dad offered Cooper his free hand. "You're my son. Why wouldn't I come?"

This look, he has never seen his father with this gentle demeanor before. Then his eyes caught site of the large cut on his dad's left cheek which had bruising all around it. Must have been when they had hit him with the chain. His father's nose was also quite swollen and caked with blood. This just made Cooper tear up even more. He was the one that did this to his father.

"We look like a sorry pair." His father smiled as he pulled Cooper to his feet. "Let's get to the truck." But as his dad attempted to turn around he nearly fell, his hands grabbing his knee. He took a few deep breaths then straightened up. "Let's go to the hospital."

Cooper shoved the pop bottle into his hoody front pocket then wrapped his arm around his father's thin waist. "Let me help you."

As they got to Walker's pickup the pain in his knee intensified so much he nearly fell to the ground. If it wasn't for his son he just might have. Cooper very carefully helped him inside, making sure Walker's knee didn't get bumped around too much. Then he closed the door and ran to the driver's side.

Walker leaned his head back into the chair's headrest, his mind trying so hard to ignore the pain that radiated from his knee. He turned to his son who glanced back at him with the same eyes as his. It was amazing how Cooper took after him in looks. Poor kid. He gave his son a smile then patted his shoulder.

"Hang on, dad." He put the truck in gear then began to drive forward. "I just hope we don't get pulled over." His shoulders slumped. "I shot up tonight." Cooper rubbed the wheel. "Dad, I know now isn't the time, but I've taken heroin."

Walker's heart sank, his whole world seemed to collapse on itself. Though he had a strong suspicion, just hearing the truth from his son brought it all home. No wonder his Kickstart programming was failing. He couldn't even keep track of his own son. So, inside the restaurant Cooper was indeed high. _What did I do? Where did I go wrong?_

From the corner of his right eye he saw his father's shoulders slump forward. He glanced over to see his dad staring at his hands, his eyes vacant. This was a look he has grown to see in his father and it really irritated him. Why did his father always clam up? Why couldn't he just talk things through? Maybe if he did, maybe just maybe their marriage wouldn't be on the rocks.

He took a deep breath. "Dad, I promise I'll get clean." He grabbed his father's hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I just need your help."

His father glanced at him then slowly nodded. "Definitely."

The ride to the hospital was rather quiet, however Walker's mind was not. Through the pain he couldn't help but think about his son and the decisions he had made in his life. He glanced at Cooper to see his son wiping his face then wring his hands around the steering wheel. Wonder when he shot up last? If a few hours ago, his son was going down and heroin had killer withdrawal. That was the reason why most got addicted.

"It's not water, but you need to get something in you." Walker then remembered he kept a few bottles of water under the seats of the truck for emergencies. As quick as he could he reached down, snagged a bottle then handed it to his son. "Drink this."

Cooper eagerly grabbed the water then chugged it down. "I hate the feeling, but I can't stop." He turned to Walker with vacant eyes. "As soon as I walk in there, they're going to arrest me. They're not going to give me a chance."

"When did you shoot up last?" Walker couldn't believe he just asked his son that question.

"Two hours ago." Cooper merged into the right lane. "Man, I really messed up."

Walker could hear the anger in his son's voice and reached out to pat his hand. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you…"

"That's the problem, you were! I just was too stubborn to listen." His dad began to laugh. "What's so funny? This is a serious situation!"

"You've got my stubborn pride." Walker couldn't believe how much his son really took after him, it made his heart swell up with sorrow at his son's current situation. "Don't worry about getting caught. I'll talk to my lawyer and Alex. Surely, we can work something out for you."

Cooper slowly nodded his head. "Thanks." He glanced left then right while merging into the exit lane. "We're almost there."

Once at the hospital Cooper pulled the truck up to the emergency entrance, told his dad not to move then got out. He raced towards the doors then through them without stopping. He sprinted down the short hall, desperately trying to eye any doctor or nurse. Finally after what seemed like several minutes of searching he found a nurse with a clipboard.

She quickly put her clipboard down and rushed to him. "Sir, are you okay?"

He waved towards the emergency room entrance. "Yeah, it's my dad! He's hurt bad, it's his knee! I think it's broken!"

A doctor ran up to him, worry written all over his face. "Okay, where's he at?"

Cooper frantically pointed behind him. "He's in the truck, he can't walk." The doctor began to study his face. "Not me! My dad! It's my dad!" He couldn't believe this man and his frustration was beginning to rise. The nurse who had gotten a wheelchair appeared at his left and tried to have him sit down. "Oh for… come on! My dad is Ranger Walker!"

This got the doctor's attention. "You're his son?" He shook his head. "Right." He spun around and snapped his fingers at two male nurses. "Follow him."

Quickly Cooper made his way down the hall, through the doors and to his father's truck. There he pulled open the passenger side door where his father sat breathing heavily, most likely from pain. Man, what did they do to him? If he didn't get involved with Streck his father wouldn't be here right now. He moved aside as the male nurses stepped up to his father then helped him into the wheelchair.

Walker felt somebody sit him down into a chair then very carefully raise his right knee till it was sticking straight out. He gripped the wheelchair arms as wave after intense wave of pain shot up his leg. Slowly he opened his eyes to see he was being wheeled through the ER straight towards a room. As the nurses wheeled him in he attempted to get up, but was gently forced down by a doctor.

"I got it, Mr. Walker." Said a young male nurse. "I'll get him under his arms, you, carefully get his legs. Watch out for the right knee."

"Right." Another male nurse gently took hold of Walker's legs then carried him to a bed where they carefully laid him down. "You're in good hands, Mr. Walker. We'll take good care of you and your son."

A doctor appeared at Walker's right side and smiled down at him. "What happened?" He snapped on some gloves and began to check Walker's broken nose then the cut on his left cheek which began to swell. "I need to suck out the blood in your nose."

"I got into a little fight." Walker winced as somebody began to touch his knee then he had to grip the bed sheets as the pain increased. "How's my son?"

"He's doing fine." The doctor went to check Walker's knee. "I see you've had surgery on this before." He gently began to touch the joint which got a loud hiss out of Walker's mouth. "Okay, I need some film for this knee and for the nose. Unfortunately, we might have to do surgery. Your knee may never be the same again."

Walker slowly nodded. "I understand." He let out a sigh as someone injected pain medication in his right arm. "Just take care of my son."

In the other ER room Cooper laid on a hospital bed as a doctor gently pressed against his sore chest. He was getting down on his heroin fix which meant he could feel anything and everything. The doctor nodded his head then began to check Cooper's arms. Once the doctor saw his right arm he sighed heavily then went to a small table with gauze and other suturing products.

"I want the honest truth, how many times have you shot up?" The doctor sat down on a stool as he grabbed a small tube. "I'm going to suck out the blood from your nose before I set it."

Cooper gave a nod. "Okay." He waited as the doctor sucked out the blood from his nose before he answered the question. "I've only shot up five times, both with heroin."

The doctor shook his head in disbelief. "I told you, I want an honest answer."

"I gave you an honest answer!" Cooper tried to sit up, but a police officer walking into the room quickly stopped him. "Listen that stuff is messed up. I only do it if I'm really bored. It's never really truly effected me, never understood why."

"You're one lucky fool." The officer said as he walked up to Cooper's side. "Do you want me to cuff him to the bed bars?"

"What!" Cooper quickly sat up, ignoring the pain in his chest. "Get my dad! Dad! Dad!"

The doctor shook his head. "No, he's just a kid." He smiled at Cooper. "Don't worry, son." His face suddenly turned into one of understanding. "I remember you now. I took care of you when you first came in eight years ago. Cooper, don't worry. I'll take care of you."


	5. Chapter 5

**Afternoon the Next Day**

The hospital room was quiet which was a welcoming relief after several hours of friends and family talking to him. Walker turned his head to his left to see his son sleeping in the next bed over. Doctor Bowen told him there was no lasting effects of the heroin and Cooper should be able to stay clean as long as he focused and tried his best to stay away from his friends. Which should be relatively easy to do since the police had worked out a plan to shorten his son's prison sentence. Cooper had to give all the names of everybody he worked with or were friends with at one time. Unfortunately this also posed the problem of Streck and his gang hunting his son down. And it frustrated Walker that he couldn't do anything else to help his son.

He glanced down at his right hand which had several tubes stuck into it along with a heart monitor which cupped his index finger. He had a morphine drip to help with the pain in his knee. According to the doctors he will never move his knee the same way again. The knee cap was cleanly broken in several places and the nerves along with the ligaments that were damaged eight years ago couldn't hold the strain of the hits. They literally exploded which would explain why he was in so much pain. The doctors who had already grafted several nerves and ligaments from his body over the years, unfortunately couldn't find any more to graft. They used cadaver parts this time around just so they can save his knee. And now he had on a large knee stabilizer which ran the full length of his leg. It was highly annoying especially when he had to walk.

"Dad." Cooper's voice woke him from his thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Walker turned his head to his son. "I'm doing good." His physical therapy nurse, Barry Johnston came walking into the room with a smile. "Great, it's that time, isn't it?"

Barry patted Walker's shoulder as he pulled the sheets down. "Okay, let's start this." He took the strap he was holding, wrapped it around Walker's waist then nodded. "All right, let's get your legs flipped to the side."

Very slowly Walker sat up then with help from Barry gingerly lifted his right leg over the bed's side. He has been down this road before, has even worn the knee stabilizer twice. He knew the first few steps were always the most painful, especially so soon after surgery, but it had to be done if he wanted to get out of the hospital.

"Okay, let me help you out." Barry grabbed hold of the strap then began to pull. "That's it, take it slow." Once Walker was standing the pain in his knee became very apparent. He grimaced hard as another nurse handed over a walker. "Okay, one step at a time. Don't be afraid to use the walker if you need to."

Walker nodded then turned to his son his heart aching to see the cuffs which chained his son to the bed. He knew the officers had to do their job, but he just wished his son didn't have to be treated that way. Cooper gave him a smile then a slight nod as though to tell him everything was okay. Walker gave his son a smile back then turned his attention to the task at hand.

"All right. Just baby steps." Barry went to Walker's back, holding the strap so Walker could inch forward. Very slowly he inched his right leg forward, his arms straining as he used them to hold much of his body weight up. "Good, good. Few more months of this and you'll be good to go."

Cooper watched as his father inched out of the hospital room then turned his attention to the ceiling tiles above him. Because of him, his father will no longer be able to walk the same way again. He sighed heavily as his mind began to think about everything he had done wrong in his life. Man, no wonder his parents treated him the way they did.

"Hey, sweetie." His mother appeared in his vision with a smile on her face. "How are you today?"

"Horrible." He turned his head to see his mother sitting next to him with a take out bag. "Mom, what are you doing here? Don't you have a big case you're working on?"

She patted his hand. "Don't worry. I bought you a lunch. Hope bacon cheeseburger is still your favorite." She began to pull the food out as he sat up straighter in bed, grimacing as his ribs screamed at him. "Mom, I'm sorry." He couldn't believe he was about to cry and quickly wiped his face with his free hand. "I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay." She gave him that smile that always got him happy when he was a young kid. "I'm just glad your okay, sweetie."

His mom reached over and gave him a gentle hug and he just melted into her shoulder. He began to cry as all the emotions he had held in for so long came flooding out in painful sobs. Here was a person that has been by his side, who had always been there if he needed to vent about dad. She loved him no matter how much trouble he had gotten into. He hugged her the best he could, ignoring the pain in his chest. What did he do to deserve this much love? He was handcuffed to a hospital bed and yet his mother embraced him with so much warmth. Why would she do something like that?

"Mom, I'm so sorry." He sobbed out. "I didn't mean to hurt you or dad. Your marriage…"

"Wasn't because of you." She pulled back and wiped the tears from his face. That was when he saw she too had been crying. "Your dad's going to be back any minute now. Why don't you have him talk to you?"

Cooper shook his head. "He'll never talk to me, mom."

She smiled at him as she wiped another tear away from his face. "I think he will now." His mother turned around as his father came back into the room. "Hey Walker, I have lunch for you."

With help from Barry his father sat down heavily on his hospital bed. "Thanks Alex." He shifted his weight till he got more comfortable then smiled at Cooper. "Bacon cheeseburgers, haven't had one of those in awhile."

It made Cooper smile to see the old spark in both his parent's eyes. He hadn't seen that look in several years and for some reason it warmed Cooper's heart. Was this a sign that things were going to change in their lives? He hoped so, it will help him out quite a bit on getting on the straight and narrow path…

"Dad!"

Cooper cursed as his sister, Angela came running into the room, worry written all over her face. This is not what he needed right now and it must have shown on his face. She instantly snapped him a dirty look then gave their father a big hug.

His mother quickly got up, handed Cooper his meal then handed dad a meal. "Angie, what are you doing here?"

"Mom, it's okay." She kissed dad on the forehead then pulled away so she can cross her arms at Cooper. "What did he do this time?

"Why do you always think I did something wrong!" He saw her smirk and realized he was cuffed to the hospital bed. "Okay, so maybe I did f…"

"That's enough." Their father's voice told them both to quickly back off the subject. "Please, Angela not right now. Cooper has been through enough. Just let him rest."

Angela took a deep breath then sat down on a chair. "What happened to you two?"

Dad shrugged his shoulders. "Me and Cooper got into a little fight, but we'll be just fine." He opened the bag, took in a big whiff then smiled. "Thanks again, Alex." He pulled out a few fries and popped them into his mouth.

Mom stole some fries from dad and sat down on the edge of his bed. "How long are you here, Angie?"

"Just for a few days then I fly back to Cambridge." She stretched then yawned. "I needed a break. Been studying for finals for the last two weeks. Just a few more years to go before I start law school."

Her mother laughed. "You think it's stressful now, just wait till it's time for your bar."

Cooper watched his sister visibly deflate as the realization of her life hit her once again. From early on in life she always wanted to be like mother, and tried her best to follow very closely in her footsteps. She always got an A in school, attended all the extra curricular activities she could and had even gotten a black belt in Tang Soo Do. Where as Cooper was the complete opposite. He never strived to be like any of his parents, flunked out of numerous grades and dropped out of Kickstart after just three weeks.

"Hey dad, can you help me study for my GED?" This nearly got his sister to fall out of her chair. Never before has he asked dad to do anything for him. "That is if I don't go to Juvie."

His dad nodded. "I'll definitely do that. We can start as soon as we know a verdict."

**One Week Later**

The ranch house was really quite as Cooper awoke from a fitful sleep. He yawned then stretched his arms as he slowly sat up and got out of bed. The weight of the unit on his ankle made him reach down and scratch at it. He only had the ankle monitor on for two days and he has already gotten annoyed by it. How was he to live with it on for six more months? And how is he suppose to stay sane at this place? There was literally nothing for him to do at the ranch house but to help out with chores since his father couldn't do them.

He checked the clock by his bed to see it was nearing eight in the morning. Guess he could get up and head to the barn to let Blossom, Zombie and Cracker out to the pastures for feeding. He stretched again, wincing at his sore ribs. At least now he can move without much pain, a few days ago he could barely get out of bed.

After he put on a t-shirt he made his way up the stairs to get a quick bite to eat before he headed to the barn. As he opened the basement door, bright sunlight made him squint and hold his hand to his face. Man, he really hated mornings.

"Good morning." Came his father's voice. "How did you sleep?"

Cooper shrugged. "Fitful." He made his way into the kitchen, got him a bowl of cereal then went into the living room where he could see his father sitting on the couch reading a newspaper. "How's the knee?"

"It's doing okay." His father put down his newspaper and Cooper could see the stitches in the deep cut on his left cheek and a bandage across his broken nose. He will always have a scar on that cheek and it was all because of Cooper. "Did you want to start the GED studying today?"

"Yeah, sure." He finished his cereal and went back to the kitchen. "We can start after I finish the barn chores and clean up." He went back into the living room to see his father attempting to get up from the couch. "Hang on, let me help you."

Once his father was standing, he grabbed the crutches then handed them to his father. It hurt Cooper so much to see his father like this, it made him appear so helpless. Cooper watched his father as he slipped his arms into the cuffs then shift his weight so he was slightly more comfortable.

He nodded his head at Cooper. "Just be careful with your ribs, they still might be sore."

"Sure, no problem." He patted his dad on the shoulder. "And don't forget to take your pain medications." It infuriated him to no end that because of his house arrest his father had to lock up his prescriptions. "Well, I should get started on the chores."

He went to the back door, slipped on his work boots then stepped out to the back porch. The sweet smell of grass and wildflowers made him smile. How could he be so blind to the beauty at his parent's place for so many years? At one time he absolutely hated being here and in fact moved in with Brett for six months. He took a deep breath as his body had a sudden craving for a cigarette. He quit smoking as a promise to his father, but it was much harder to stop then he had originally thought.

Ever so slowly he made his way through the yard towards the old barn, his attention going to a car pulling up the long, gravel driveway. When he saw it was Trivette's car he relaxed and continued on his way. He was probably here to talk to his father about the case which ended up much bigger then he wanted it to be. Let's just hope he has some good news.

**Inside the House**

The pain in his knee was a constant reminder of his current condition and unlocking the meds from the lockbox on the kitchen counter was another. He was on the strongest pain medication one could get without using morphine and he actually wondered if it was enough. The pain he experienced daily was by far the worst he has ever felt in his life. He unlocked the box, took out the medication he needed then locked it back up just as his front door opened.

"Hey Walker, it's just me!" Trivette shouted from the living room. "Got Agent Gilkinson here to talk to you and Cooper."

Walker swallowed his pills with a swig of water as his friend came into the kitchen. "Cooper is outside right now, he'll be back in about thirty minutes or so." He looked at Agent Gilkinson and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Agent Gilkinson." He slipped his arm out of the cuff to shake the man's hand. "What brings you here?"

Agent Gilkinson shook his hand then motioned for them to sit at the dining room table. "It appears William Howard Jefferson or Streck, is just one of ten major players in this nationwide theft ring." He saw Walker's eyes open a little wider. "Yes, we've been looking into this ring for many years, but couldn't find a connection to Dallas till now."

"Cooper is a vital eye witness now, isn't he?"

"That's right, Walker." Gilkinson sighed heavily as he laced his hands on the tabletop. "So, far thanks to your son, we have managed to keep an eye on three of the leaders, Jefferson being one of them. However, if word leaks out we're tailing them, your son's life, along with your family's will be at risk."

Trivette shook his head. "It's just a theft ring, right? How dangerous can they be?"

Gilkinson shrugged. "It all depends on the leader, in that part of the country. In LA, a sixteen-year-old kid was tortured to death, possibly for any information he knew."

Walker's heart skipped a beat at the near mention of torture and he tightened his fists. Jefferson had the nerve to come to their house, which means he could easily return any day. And when he did Walker was in no shape to fight back. He wouldn't be able to protect his son yet again which will just break him emotionally.

"Listen, Jefferson so far hasn't shown a vicious side." Said Gilkinson, snapping Walker from his thoughts. "The worse he does, is send a message by beating the snitch just enough to get him not wanting to go back to the gang. Trust me, if Jefferson wanted to, Cooper and yourself would have been dead." He glanced up as Cooper came through the back door. "Your son is the first to leave the organization in Dallas and make it to the police. We know of three more that left, but they refuse to talk to us."

Cooper walked into the dining room and sat down. "What's going on?"

"This is Agent Gilkinson. He's here to talk to you and I, Cooper." Walker stifled a yawn as a wave of drowsiness swept over his mind. Stupid medication. "Apparently Streck is involved in a nation wide theft ring. You have a chance to put him away for life."

"Okay." Cooper nodded his head. "I'll get a piece of paper and write down everything I know."


	6. Chapter 6

**Doing something different here in this chapter. I'm trying to dig more into character development then I have done in previous stories. So, be gentle, but leave comments. Thanks. :)  
**

Over two hours later, Cooper had finally finished writing down all he knew about Streck and everybody that worked for him. By doing this, he fingered his friends which will put him at risk once the information hit the police. He sighed heavily as he dropped his pen then cracked his knuckles. He really needed a cigarette right now, the stress is about to kill him. Instead of grabbing a cigarette, he began to snack on a bag of candy that was sitting on the table.

One glance around the dining room he saw he was alone and spotted the agent sitting on the couch, probably watching something on television. Wonder where his dad went to? He stretched then slowly got up from the table, his body just slightly stiff from sitting down for so long. Knowing his father, he had taken his pain medication and now was sleeping in the spare bedroom.

As he walked that way Agent Gilkinson smiled at him then got up himself. "Did you write everything down?"

Cooper nodded. "Yeah, sure did. You'll find it on the dining room table."

He made his way to the spare bedroom to see the door cracked open which made it easier to push it without much noise. Inside he saw his father on the bed, laying on his back. Before the attack his father rarely took naps, in fact he despised them. But lately, thanks to the pain medication he would always sleep for at least three hours a day.

"Dad." Cooper quietly called out and when his father didn't answer he slowly sat down in the chair next to the door. "Man, I don't know if I can handle this anymore. I need a smoke."

"Smoking is bad for you." His father slowly turned his head towards him then slowly sat up. "Did you get everything written down?"

"That I did." Cooper sighed heavily then got up to close the door. "Dad, I want to have a talk with you. It's about what happened to your knee. You didn't get it injured during a shoot out, did you?"

His father lowered his head as he took a deep, heaving sigh. "Guess it's time I let you know what had happened." He patted his hand on the bed as he shifted his weight. "Come here and sit down." Once Cooper did, his dad took an uneasy breath. "I was forced into retirement after what I did to a gang member."

Cooper was afraid to ask, but knew he had to. "Why? What did you do?"

"It all started when I offered myself up to the gang so they will release you." His father's hand went straight to his knee. "The gang leader proceeded to torture me…" He took a deep breath, his hand slowly rubbing his knee. "They took a knife…and it was stabbed into my knee. Then the gang leader began to twist it repeatedly."

Cooper slowly began to rub his father's shoulder, his heart aching at the story. "When did the police finally save you?"

"Two days." His father's voiced cracked. "But at least you were safe." He turned to Cooper to show such sadness in his eyes, tears threatened to escape from Cooper's. "By the time they found me, I had been beaten, burned and stabbed. The worse injury was my knee." He took another deep breath. "The gang had left the knife in my knee…twisting it every so often. By the time I got to the hospital, it was too late."

"I didn't know." Cooper's shoulders slumped as he shook his head. He needed to ask his father the dreaded question, but was Cooper really ready for the answer. "What did you do to the gang leader?" His voice showed his nervousness of asking his father to spill everything.

It took several minutes of awkward silence before his father cleared his throat. "It was a year after the kidnapping and my knee was still tender after a second surgery." He tore his attention away from Cooper. "I found the gang leader that did this to you and I made him suffer." He shook his head. "I really don't know what had taken over me that day, I still think about it at night. His name was Julio Alvarado, he was just seventeen." Cooper could see a sudden change in his father's face as his hands went to cover it. "My God, he was your age."

"Dad, what did you do?" Cooper shifted his weight so he could see his father's face. "Please, tell me."

His father took a few calming breaths. "I tortured him to death. Not…" He shook his head. "I don't want to get into it." He turned to show Cooper eyes that held deep, emotional pain. "Captain Henderson asked for my immediate retirement and I was put on ten years of probation." He pointed to Cooper's ankle. "I wore one of those for eight months and had to lie to your mother for much more than that."

"You mean, she doesn't know." Guilt washed over Cooper so intense he actually let a few tears drop from his eyes. "And all this time, I thought your fighting was all because of me."

"Oh, Cooper we would never argue about you." His father reached over then took Cooper into his arms, giving him a warm, fatherly embrace. "I want to make sure you are safe and always head down the right path." He pulled back to look Cooper in the eyes. "You've made mistakes in life and so have I, but we learn from them and go on." He took a deep breath then shook his head. "Unfortunately I haven't followed my own advice and because of it…" He paused to look at the door as though he was anticipating some company. "Because of it, your mother and I have been arguing more then we should."

"What did you tell her…" Cooper wiped his face. "How did you explain the house arrest?"

His father gave him that smile that almost seemed mischievous. "Lucky for me, I had another surgery on my knee. Had me off my feet for a good four months. But hiding the ankle monitor, that I couldn't do." He shrugged. "So, I came up with some excuse that I was charged with assaulting a suspect and the monitor was just a precaution until I got my court date."

Cooper nodded realizing his father held so much from his mother and the pain that it must have caused this strong, willed man. Then something occurred to him. His father only got house arrest and probation. "How did you get such a light sentence?"

"Took a lot of work from several lawyers to convince the system, that putting me in jail would kill me within days. So, I had to agree to the house arrest, probation, retirement and counseling." He turned his attention back to Cooper. "After much talking with the judge and my lawyer, they agreed that what I did that day will be punishment enough."

"You know, eventually mom needs to know this." Cooper shook his head. "Eight months house arrest?" He gave his father a chuckle. "How did you manage that?"

His father laughed as well. "I'm a solitary person and it nearly drove _me _insane. I didn't have the freedom that you do. My limitations didn't even reach the barn. I could pace around the house and walk to the car."

Sitting here, on the bed with his son by his side Walker's depression and guilt slowly ebbed away. Hidden deep down, hidden under layers of hatred and malice did lay a very caring person inside Cooper. Hopefully today will mark a change in his son's life and he will only do good from here on out.

He reached over, gave his son another hug and nearly shed a tear as his son happily returned it. Too many years had passed without either one of them showing a real father and son relationship and it warmed Walker's heart. He was afraid Cooper would have shunned him even more once he told his story, but instead it seemed to have drawn them closer together.

"Cooper, you're a great kid. Smart as hell." He pulled back, but he kept his hands on his son's shoulders. "You get this GED and you do something with your life."

Cooper wiped his face then gave Walker a smile. "I owe you that much." He chuckled. "Who knows, maybe I can become a Texas…" His face quickly saddened. "Do the Rangers except somebody with a GED?"

Walker was so taken aback by this question it took him awhile to respond. "Not normally, no. Get some college education behind you and I will definitely see what I can do."

"Thank you."

Cooper began to laugh which made Walker pull back slightly confused. "What's so funny?"

"Man, Angela would be freaking out right now if she heard what I just said." He patted his dad shoulder. "I got a lot of studying to do if I want this GED." He lifted his right leg to show Walker the ankle monitor. "And I'm not going anywhere soon." He got up then gave Walker a kiss on the forehead. "Thank you. This meant more than you could have ever imagined."

Later that night Cooper sat in the dining room doodling on a notepad as his mind tried to focus on his GED studies. It was much harder then he had thought and he found himself getting bored. He took a deep breath, stood up then went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Man, this house arrest is going to get old rather quickly. Wonder what else he could do around here that will help pass the time?

His father slowly limped into the room, his face masked with pain as he gingerly swung his right leg forward. "How's the GED prep going for you?"

"Frustrating." Cooper got himself a glass of water then pointed at his father's knee. "It looks really swollen." He went to the freezer, grabbed the large ice pack then waved to the living room. "Why don't you sit down on the couch and elevate it for awhile."

As he followed his dad into the living room his mother walked into the house looking rather worn and stressed. He didn't know anything about the case she was working on, he just knew it had her at the office nearly all day. She glanced up at him then gave both of them a weak smile.

"Have you all eaten yet?" She took off her suit jacket then kicked off her heels. "If not, you all want Chinese?"

"Chinese sounds good, mom. Thanks." Cooper quickly turned to his father and grabbed hold of his right arm. "Easy. Just take it slow." Once his father was seated, he helped move his leg over and on top of a pile of pillows. "Remember, don't push yourself too hard."

His father chuckled. "I'll try to remember that." His face suddenly turned serious as he glanced at mom. "Why don't you go and start organizing the attic. Take a little break from the GED prep. It'll help you stay busy for a few weeks."

Cooper wanted to groan at the task he was just given, but knew his father was right. He needed something to occupy his time while under house arrest, what better way to do it then clean up around the house. He turned to his mom, smiled then gave her a hug which seemed to have surprised her since she was a little hesitant in returning it.

"What's gotten into you, Cooper?" She pulled back to look him in the face and he saw her eyes quivering. "You haven't hugged me like that in years."

"Yeah, I've been a real jerk." He gave his mom a kiss on the forehead. "I'll be in that attic. Call me when the food arrives."

A few minutes later Cooper found himself inside the large attic with a flashlight in one hand a trash bag in the other. He has never come up here before and always thought it was just full of junk. With one sweep of his flashlight he saw several things that did appear to be trash. Old chairs, some blankets, and even a saddle which got a chuckle from him. His dad use to love riding horses, but as of late and before the attack his knee couldn't take the pounding anymore.

He sighed heavily then moved to an area that sat right above the living room. Here, sat several boxes of old photos, documents and books. He could see his father had just thrown the boxes up here as though they were just trash, most sat haphazardly over one another. As he cleared a spot for him to sit he could hear his parent's voices through the ceiling. Though muffled he could tell his father was finally telling his mom about that day several years ago. Would she take it as well as he did? Or would she flip out like she always tended to do?

"Let's just hope it doesn't destroy their marriage." He sighed heavily then grabbed the nearest box to him. As he pulled it to the floor the lid popped open and inside he could see several, very old and yellowed photos. Why would this box be on top? He reached inside and grabbed a photo at random then shown a light onto it. "Oh Dad. You still miss them don't you." In the picture his father sat between his parents on a an old, rustic porch. Flipping the photo around he saw the date and shook his head. "Two days before they were killed. Man…Wish I could have met them."

"What! You kept this from me for seven years!" His mother's voice shot through his thoughts and made him cringe. "Why didn't you tell me, Walker!" Dad's response was just a murmur but it did seem to quiet mom down. "Oh, Cordell. I didn't know."

Cooper sighed at the use of dad's first name, which for some reason was rarely used. The only time people ever called dad Cordell was usually when something bad was about to happen. But he noted the love in his mother's voice and relaxed once again.

He put the photo down then grabbed another at random and this time it was a picture of his dad as a teenager. Cooper turned the picture around to see the date and discovered his father was roughly his age when the picture was taken which meant it was around five years after his parents were killed. He could see the pain in his father's eyes and wondered what it must have felt like to grow up in a strange environment like the Cherokee reservation.

"Wonder what else is in this box?" Cooper leaned it over and begin to dig through the several pictures till he found one that quickly grabbed his attention. He pulled it out with a smile. "Dang! Didn't know you were that good, dad." He shone the light on the picture of his father doing a spinning back kick. The distance from the ground to his bottom foot was at least four feet. "I want to know how to do that."

After several more minutes of digging through the box he managed to get most of the pictures organized into sub-categories. He had military, pictures of his grandparents and dad, and martial arts. As he grabbed another handful he could hear his mother yelling at him that food had arrived. Quickly he put the ones down he had in his hands then picked up the stack that contained most of the martial art pictures. He had many questions to ask his father and hopefully he'll get some answers. If his father really was as good as the pictures showed, maybe, just maybe he could teach him something.


	7. Chapter 7

**A little long, but I'm hoping it flows okay and the characterization isn't too much. Enjoy. :)**

The attic ladder creaked under Cooper's feet as he made his way down for dinner. He could smell Chinese food which got his stomach to growl rather loudly. As he rounded the corner to enter the dining room he could see his mother setting down two large white bags on the table as his father gradually sat down in his chair. He went to his father, gave his shoulders a gentle squeeze then went to his mother's side to help her with the food.

"I hope you still like Kung Pao Chicken, Cooper." She handed him two white takeout boxes. "Walker, I got you shredded pork with garlic sauce." She put the containers in front of his dad along with a plate. "What do you have there, Cooper?"

Cooper raised his hand to show his mother the pictures. "Found these in the attic." He sat down next to his father. "Didn't know you were so good at martial arts."

His father chuckled and shook his head. "I haven't seen those pictures in several years." He dumped the contents of the containers on the plate before him then wiped his hand on a paper napkin. "Let me see them."

Alex glanced at her husband and son, a smile on her face at seeing them finally talking to each other without arguing. What Walker told her an hour ago was truly disturbing, but explained several things about her husband. It made her angry though just thinking about how Walker kept his secret from her for over seven years. What did their marriage really mean then if he couldn't even talk to her? He still wouldn't tell her what he did to Alvarado that day and that just frustrated her even more.

She took a deep breath then shook her food out of the container and onto the plate in front of her. As she sat down she glanced up once again to see Walker pointing to a picture he held in his hands. He was telling Cooper a story about a martial arts tournament and how he had broken his nose. Why did this irritate her more? Maybe it was the way Walker acted right now. It was as though he didn't just tell her he had tortured a teenager to death.

Walker glanced up from the photo he was holding and caught her eyes looking at him. The smile quickly faded from his face as he put the picture down. Cooper took a look at her then began to eat his food. Alex felt guilty at ruining the moment between father and son which rarely happened.

She cleared her throat, took a bite of her broccoli chicken then smiled at Walker. "Was that the first time or the second time you broke your nose?"

"Second." Her husband's voice was low and she knew he will remain quiet for the rest of the night.

Alex finished her dinner in peace then slowly got up, collected the dishes then went to the kitchen. As she was rinsing off one of the plates she could hear the soft clicking of Walker's crutches as he made his way behind her. For the last eight years he has probably spent four of them recovering from surgery and using either a cane or crutches to get around. Now, according to the doctors he may never be able to walk normally again.

Walker gave her a gentle hug then kissed her on the cheek. "I'm so sorry, Alex."

She threw the towel she was holding into the sink then took a deep breath. "Were you ever going to tell me what really happened? Or were you just going to sit on it?"

"Eventually. Just didn't know how to tell you."

She turned around to look in his blue eyes which held deep, emotional pain. "Oh Walker, I just wish you told me sooner. For eight years we have been arguing and it could have easily been settled if you just told me." She could feel the tears as they threatened to escape from her eyes. "I just wish you will not let your pride…" Her voice wavered and she shook her head. "I'm going to Sydney's for awhile."

"Alex, no more running away. We need to work this out."

He put his hands on her arms and that is when she noticed he was standing without the use of his crutches. She gently took hold of his hands then placed them on the cuffs. He slipped his arms back into them as he adjusted his weight so he was primarily standing on his left leg. It must be very uncomfortable for him to wear the knee stabilizer which ran the full length of his right leg.

"If you finally want to talk about it, let's sit out on the porch." She took hold of his arm and slowly they both headed towards the backdoor. "How's the pain?"

Walker shrugged his shoulders as he hobbled onto the wooden porch. "I can deal with it for now." She could see him grit his teeth as he sat down on one of the chairs. "What I'm about to tell you, I have only told to a few people."

Alex sat next to her husband and put her hand on his good knee. "What did you do, Cordell?" She fought really hard to keep her emotions in check, unfortunately a tear did run down her cheek. "Cordell, please tell me. What did you do to Alvarado?"

Walker couldn't look at his wife, instead he glanced at the field before them. "It was a year after Cooper was kidnapped and I just recovered from the second surgery to my knee." His mind began to flash back to that day seven years ago. "I just got back to the Rangers and it only took me a few weeks to know where Alvarado lived." He took a deep breath as his voice began to shake. "I went over there…to his place…." As he told Alex the story, his mind went back to that day that he wished never happened.

**Seven Years Ago**

It was an incredible nice day in October, some would have called it picturesque with the tree's fully in color with bright red and yellow leaves. Walker drove his truck through a small suburb of Dallas where the homes were small and close together. In his hands was a piece of paper with an address on it. He glanced at it once again, then took a look at the numbers on the houses as they passed by. The place he was looking for should be coming up soon. He slowed down his truck as he approached a light blue house with an Impala in the driveway. This was the place, this was where they had found Cooper a year ago. That bastard. Can't believe he was still living here.

He parked his truck behind the Impala then got out, making sure to not put a lot of weight on his tender right knee. Gradually he made his way to the front door and then gave it a good knock. He waited impatiently for a minute then started pounding on it.

"What do you want, Ranger!" Shouted a voice from within the house. "I want nothing to do with you!"

Walker checked the doorknob to see it was unlocked. "I'm coming in, Alvarado!" He could hear the gang member curse as he stepped inside the front entrance. "I want to talk!"

As Walker stepped inside the house he could see the small man standing in a doorway in front of him, a beer in his hands. The look of shock on Alvarado's face slowly ebbed away and was replaced by anger.

"You have no right to be here, Walker!"

Walker scowled at the man as he took a knife out from a sheath hidden behind his back in his belt. "What were you thinking when you were torturing my son!"

"Whoa, that's why you are here?" Alvarado laughed as he took a drink of his beer. "Listen, I wasn't the one that hurt your son…" He looked up at the ceiling then back at Walker with a smile on his face. "Oh wait, yes I was."

This got anger to swell inside of Walker and he rushed at the man who dropped his beer to protect himself. Walker could feel his fist pounding into Alvarado's face as he his right lunged the knife into the man's chest. He screamed out as images of his son's bruised and burned body flashed before.

He pulled back, ignoring the pain in his left hand as he grabbed hold of Alvarado's shirt and dragged him into the kitchen where he threw the man into a chair. He wiped the blood from his right hand on his jeans then dug into his pocket for the twist ties. Because of the beating he just received, Alvarado didn't fight back as Walker tied him to the chair.

"I will show you what it was like to be my son!" Walker slammed his chest with his open palm as talked to the gang member. "You will suffer for what you did!"

"This is bull…"

Walker cut him off by slamming his fist once again into Alvarado's face. "My son still suffers from what you did to him!" He's heart was beating fast as his mind shut itself off from any guilt he might feel by hurting the young man before him. "Now, where to start."

He didn't know how much time had passed till his mind finally snapped back to reality. His hands were covered in Alvarado's blood and were now shaking at the realization at what he had just done. Not wanting to look at the young man he walked passed the limp form in the chair to wash his hands. What did he just do? This isn't like him at all. How was he suppose to explain this to anybody?

Finally, once most of the blood was off his hands Walker turned to Alvarado's body and what he saw chilled his blood. Did he really do this to a human being? If so, he wasn't any better than the criminals he arrested daily. He fought the urge to throw up as he took out his cell phone. His hands were shaking so badly now, he didn't know if he could actually dial a number. It took both hands to steady the phone as he called Trivette.

His friend picked up on the second ring. "Walker! Man, I have been looking for you. Where have you been?"

Walker took a deep breath as he fell against the kitchen counter. "Jimmy, I did something really stupid."

"What happened?" He could hear Trivette take out his car keys. "Where are you?"

"Julio Alvarado's." His voice was raspy with emotion. "Bring an officer with you."

Walker flipped the phone close then made his way into the living room where he sat down on the sofa. He rubbed his face then took a look around to see family photos and other pictures on the wall before him. Hopefully nobody comes home or visits Alvarado while he waits for Trivette to show up with an officer. How would he explain what he did to Alvarodo's family or friends?

He took a deep, shaky breath as he instinctively started playing with his wedding band. How would Alex react to this? Should he tell her what had happened? He knew Alex may not understand. And who knew what it could do to their marriage.

A reflection on the wall before him signaled somebody's arrival to the house and hopefully it was Trivette. He glanced behind him, through the window to see Trivette's car along with a Texas Public Safety vehicle pulling onto the lawn. He could hear his friend calling out his name, but Walker's body was so numb he couldn't move. Instead he just stared at the body secured to the chair in the kitchen. Even as Trivette walked into the house, he didn't stray his eyes away from the man he brutally killed.

"What happened here, Walker?" Trivette gasped as he ran to Alvarado's body and checked for a pulse. "Walker, please don't tell me…"

Walker slowly nodded his head. "I don't know what happened to me." His voice cracked as he stood to his feet. "I need to be taken in."

The officer held his hand to his mouth. "Walker…" A look of disgust flashed over the man's face. "I'm going to have to cuff you..."

Trivette turned to Walker. "Let's make this quiet. I don't want Walker to get a lot of attention."

Things began to fade as Walker's mind slowly came back to the present and he quickly realized he had been crying. Ashamed at himself he quickly went to wipe away the tears, but was stopped by Alex. He couldn't look at his wife, not like this. And if it wasn't for his stupid knee he would be walking away right now to get some alone time to think.

"Oh Walker." Alex gently put her hand under his chin and slowly pulled it towards her. "What made you do it?"

Walker shook his head, not really knowing the answer himself. "Something took hold of me that day, Alex." His voice was low and raspy as he spoke. "Not sure what it was, but I wish it never happened." He took a deep shaky breath then looked his wife right in the eyes. "Coroners say it was the knife wound that eventually killed him, but I know it was the torture." He wiped his eyes, nearly wincing as his sleeve pulled at the stitches on his face.

Alex reached over and gave Walker a big, comforting hug knowing no matter what she thought about her husband, right now more than ever he needed her. She has never seen Walker like this before and knew that day still haunted more than Vietnam. It took her by surprised to see him crying without holding back the tears and she began to wonder how long it has been since Walker let his emotions out like this.

She rubbed his back as he melted into her arms and she could feel him shaking as tears came to his eyes once again. Soon she too was crying and as she glanced at the porch door she could see Cooper standing there looking how she felt. He must have heard everything which meant he knew the true love of his father. Here was a man; a strong, stubborn, prideful man admitting he too was weak. Cooper wiped his face, gave Alex a nod then disappeared back into the house.

"Walker, what you did that day was a horrible, unspeakable crime." She pulled back to look her husband in the face, but he had shamefully once again hid it from her. "It's okay to cry, to let your emotions out." She smiled at him then wiped the tears away from his face by using her thumb. "You love your son and it was that love that drove you to do what you did that day. Unfortunately you now have to live with the memories, but I'm here to help you."

Walker took a deep, shaky breath then tilted his head up to look her in the eyes. His blue eyes were deeper in color than usual and were now bloodshot from crying. "I should have realized that sooner, but I thought I could honestly handle this myself. I was too ashamed at what I had done." He shook his head. "You didn't deserve me treating you like I did…" Guilt etched across his face as his eyes began to waver away from hers. "Because of me, because of my stubborn pride, we argued. I don't know how to make up for that, Alex."

Alex kissed her husband on the lips then smiled at him. "We'll pull through this." She took hold of his hands and gave them a good squeeze. "Just don't forget, I'm here for you."

Inside the house Cooper went downstairs to his room with a phone in his hands then sat down on his bed. After hearing his father's story Cooper knew he had to make amends with Angela. They're arguing was spawned from their parents fighting and Cooper was mostly the cause of it. Hopefully his sister will talk to him.

He took a deep breath then called his sister's cell number. She answered on the fifth ring.

"Hello? Mom, dad?"

Cooper shook his head. "No, Ang it's me, Cooper."

She sighed heavily. "What do you want?"

"Ang, I want to talk." His sister tried to argue with him, but he cut her off. "Listen, I was stupid, Ang. I know that now. For now on, I'm changing. I want to be siblings."

**Cambridge**

Angela stopped walking when she heard the tone in her brother's voice. She has never heard Cooper sound like this before, what had happened to him? Her friend, Katie gave her an irritated look and Angela began to walk once again.

"How do I know you'll change? You've said that a few times…"

"I'm calling you." He took a deep breath and she could almost swear she heard a tremble to his voice. "Listen, Ang I was stupid. I did some things that I really regret, but I want to change my life. I'm taking GED classes right now and if I can, I want to be a Texas Ranger."

She held out her hand to stop Katie once again as she took a seat on a nearby bench. Katie crossed her arms and mouthed "Hurry" as she tapped her wristwatch. Angela glanced down at hers to see they still had a good ten minutes till they were suppose to meet up with some friends. She mouthed "Cooper" which got her friend's eyes to nearly roll out of her head.

Then the realization of what her brother had just told her made Angela stand up with shock. "Did I just hear you say you want to be a Texas Ranger!" Katie snapped around, her mouth wide open. Angela held her hand up to silence her friend as she walked away. "But you hate authority. What about your record?"

"Dad's Cordell Walker, one of the greatest Texas Rangers to ever live." Cooper laughed as he said this. "Surely, they can work something out, right?"

She could actually here excitement in his voice. Cooper was really serious about this decision in his life. This nearly got Angela to tear up and she quickly wiped her eyes. What made her rebellious brother change so quickly? Was it the beating he had received? Maybe it brought up some unwanted memories that was buried deep in Cooper's mind.

"Ang…"

"I'm here." She smiled as a thought came to her. "That would be funny if we work together like dad and mom." She laughed, the first time she has done so with Cooper in several years. "I have some free time coming up for summer. I'll make my way down and help you out with your GED studies."

"Dad's helping me out right now." He laughed. "But I don't mind some extra assistance."

Angela nodded her head. "Don't tell mom or dad. I will like for it to be a surprise."

They talked for a little bit more before both said their good-byes. After she flipped her phone closed, Katie quickly ran to her side.

"What did you brother want?" Her friend's voice held a hint of disgust.

Katie's attitude actually made Angela mad, but she held her emotions in check. "He's changing and for the better. Flying down to Texas once this semester ends to spend some time with my family and to recover from finals."

Her friend gave her a non-believing look. "The only time you ever went back to Texas is because of your father and his stupid knee problem."

"Something is different, Katie." She smiled. "I mean, Cooper actually called me." Her friend's face did change into one of guilt. "I really think he's wanting to change and I want to be there for him." She smiled. "He told me he wants to be a Texas Ranger." This caused her to shake her head and laugh. "No matter what we do, we'll always be in our parents' footsteps."


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter I know is slow. I sincerely apologize for that. :( Just been so long since I've written on this story, trying to get a feel for it once again. I promise it will pick up, hopefully. ;)**

**Two Weeks Later**

The drive from DFW airport to her parent's house was long and very tedious, but it also gave Angela some time to think. For the last few weeks her mind was primarily set on finals so she barely had time to wonder what had happened at home. What made her brother change so drastically that he took time to call her not once but three times? She knew he was under house arrest, but the calls were not of boredom. Cooper actually seemed to want to know Angela more, which was rather surprising. Ever since he was thirteen he stayed as far away as he could from Angela, only bothering to talk to her if and only if their parents forced him to.

She pulled onto the dead-end road that led to her parent's ranch and drove the short distance to the gravel drive-way. As she pulled in, she could see string marking the perimeter of Cooper's ankle monitor and dad's old pickup parked at the front of the house.

The front door opened and out walked Cooper who appeared different to her. He had a glow around him that she has never seen before. Was it because he was actually sober now?

She parked the car and got out to greet her younger brother. "Hey Cooper!" She gave him a big hug then looked up into her brother's blue eyes. "How's it like to be chained to the house?"

"A little comforting actually. Gets me away from all the bad influences in my life." He motioned towards the house. "Dad just took his pain meds, so he'll be out for a few hours. You should get yourself comfortable while I start lunch."

Angela gave her brother a smile and slapped him on the shoulder. "When did you start cooking?"

"Gotta do something to pass the time." Cooper shrugged as he made his way back to the front door. "Besides, it gives mom a much needed break."

An hour later Angela found herself sitting at the dining room table eating a grilled chicken Panini sandwich Cooper had fixed for her. It was actually really good, especially since he put basil and sun dried tomatoes on it. He sat down across from her with his plate then gave her a warm smile.

"How do you like your sandwich?"

"It's really good. How did you learn how to cook this?"

"Some on my own, some mom or dad taught me." He bit into his sandwich then shrugged. "Need to keep the mind occupied or I might go insane."

Angela wiped her mouth with a napkin and pointed to the GED books that sat next to Cooper. "How is that coming along?"

Cooper shrugged. "Slow, but it's doing okay." A knock came at the door. "Hang on, I'm going to see who that is." Curious he went to the door, peered out and saw Marcus and James standing outside. "It's the Trivette brothers." He opened the door with a big smile. "Marcus!" He shook the hand of the oldest sibling. "What brings you here?"

Marcus gave Cooper a shrug. "Dad, told us to swing by." He patted James' shoulder which got his brother to look directly in his face. "Go ahead and get a drink. Angela is here."

As James walked by Cooper, he patted the younger brother on the shoulder then gave him a smile. "I'm learning to sign, still rough." Cooper said with sign language.

This got a huge smile on James' face. "You are learning to sign, for me?" His voice was slow, but perfectly understandable. "But why?" He then signed. "Thought you hated me?"

"I was stupid." Cooper signed.

James stuck his hand out and shook Cooper's. "Hope we can become friends."

Angela stepped up just then with a smile on her face. "Cooper, when did you learn how to sign?"

"Dad's been teaching me." Cooper went back into the dining room to start cleaning up the lunch dishes. "So, why did your dad want you guys to stop by?"

Marcus shrugged. "Not really sure." He went to Angela and gave her a big hug. "How's it going, Angie?"

As the close friends caught up, Cooper went to the kitchen to rinse off and put the dishes in the dishwasher. Marcus was just two years older than Cooper and was going to college at Duke University. As for James, he was going to a special high school which catered to the deaf and was an honor student who might make valedictorian for his class. Everybody seemed to be doing so well in school, wonder how he would have done if he actually attended and paid attention.

After the dishes were done Cooper wiped down the counters then made his way into the living room where he could see Marcus signing to James. The youngest Trivette was born with the ability to hear, but at an early age contacted measles. James got so sick, most thought he may not survive, but he proved resilient and pulled through. Unfortunately, the illness took its toll on his young body and he lost all his hearing. But that didn't stop James from excelling in academics and sports.

He checked his watch then went to the guest bedroom to see how his father was doing. As he approached the door, he heard soft footsteps behind him. When he turned to see who it was, he wasn't at all surprised to see Angela behind him.

"How is he doing?" Angela asked him.

"His knee is pretty much gone. A few days ago, he went to visit a doctor for a checkup and they told him he may have to wear a brace just to keep it stable." He slowly pushed the door open then turned back to his sister. "Just wish this didn't happen."

Angela gently rubbed his shoulder. "It's in the past now." She patted him on the back. "You learned your lesson though."

Cooper snapped to his sister. "Why do you say it like that?"

"Sorry, I'm just glad you're finally doing something with your life." She gave Cooper a genuine smile. "Don't wake him up until I get by his side."

Once inside the room, Cooper made his way to the bed where his father laid on his back with his leg slightly propped up by pillows. He appeared to be in a deep sleep, his chest rising and falling evenly. Hopefully, he had slept enough and wouldn't be irritated if Cooper woke him up. But if he was, his mood will quickly change once he saw Angela.

He gently nudged his father on the shoulder. "Dad, got somebody here who would like to see you."

Their father stirred in his sleep then opened his eyes. "Cooper, everything okay?" His attention drifted to Angela. "Angie, what are you doing here?"

"Came to visit Cooper and to see how you're doing." Their father slowly sat up by pushing himself against the headboard. "How's the knee, dad?"

"As good as it can be. Start physical therapy tomorrow." He smiled at Cooper and Angela then slowly moved his body till he was sitting on the bed's edge. "Angie, you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

Angela's smile quickly faded as she turned to Cooper. "I need to have a long talk with you, dad." She sighed heavily. "Alone."

Cooper nodded his head. "Okay, I'll see if the Trivette brothers need anything."

Once his son was out of the room, Walker patted the bed next to him. "What's going on, Angela? Is it college?"

His daughter slowly nodded her head. "Dad, I made a few mistakes while in college." She took a deep breath. "Don't worry, it's not drinking or skipping classes." She bowed her head. "I started to hang out with the wrong crowd. My so called friends don't understand you or Cooper or this whole situation down here. And I fell into it…"

Walker took hold of her hand and gave it a good squeeze. "What do you mean they don't understand?" He pulled his daughter closer to him and started to rub her back. "What's going on, Angie?"

He could see his daughter fighting back the tears, her blue eyes getting slightly red. "I may have exaggerated to a few friends about Cooper." She shook her head. "I feel horrible about it, especially now since he's getting his life back together."

"Oh Angela." Walker gave his daughter a big hug.

"What woke me up was my suppose best friend, Katie." Angela pulled back and wiped her face with the back of her hand. "She kept talking about you like you were a cripple." Her hands tightened into fists as her bottom lip started to quiver. "It made me so mad." She shook her head. "I don't know how I got caught up…"

"It's okay, Angie." Walker hugged his daughter once more, his heart going out to her. He started to rub her back as his daughter let the tears fall. "Don't worry, I'm here for you."

Angela hugged onto him tightly. "I'm so sorry. From this day forward I'm starting new." Her voice cracked with emotions. "I'll make you proud of me."

XXXX

Elsewhere in the house, Cooper sat talking to Marcus and James about life in general. Never before has he strike up a conversation with the Trivette brothers and found it actually interesting. For one, he didn't know James played football with a local league and had a scholarship to play at Texas A&M. As for Marcus, he was going to Duke to become a trauma surgeon and spoke fluent Spanish along with French. And with him being an expert at American sign he was ideal for working in an emergency room.

"So, you can speak French?" Asked Cooper, still shocked at knowing this little information about his friend.

"Instruit il dans le lycée et suivi lui." Duke started to laugh at Cooper's bewildered expression. "I learned in high school and kept up with it. Trying to get Japanese down now, but it's a bit more complicated."

Cooper shook his had. "Wish I could say I have something going for me besides my last name."

James patted Cooper's shoulder then signed, "Your last name is a legend here in Texas." Which was then translated by Marcus.

"Great, thanks." Cooper laughed at the youngest Trivette brother. "Maybe I should learn Spanish. It would help when I become an officer here in Texas."

Marcus playfully nudged Cooper's shoulder. "So, you're serious about becoming a Ranger?"

"Yeah, I am. So much so, I'm willing to use dad's name to get the star." He saw Marcus cringe. "It's the only option."

James shook his head. "You can join military. Honor your father that way." He said, slow but coherently.

"I could, but there's still my record to worry about." Cooper ran his hands through his short hair. "Really screwed up and I'm now paying for it." He glanced up as he heard the soft clicking of his dad's crutches. "Dad, how you feeling?"

His father gave all the men a smile. "What brings you two here?"

Marcus shrugged. "Had some time off from University." He got up and shook Walker's hand. "Heard about everything that had happened." His attention went straight to Walker's knee stabilizer. "What is the possibility of you getting movement back?"

"Less than fifty percent." Cooper's father gave Marcus a shrug. "With my age, it doesn't matter anymore if I have use of my knee." He laughed then made his way to the kitchen. "How about I order some pizza? And we can catch up."


	9. Chapter 9

**Three Hours Later**

After spending some catch up time with his children and the Trivette brothers Walker had Marcus drop him off at physical therapy. Here he changed into a pair of loose fitting sweatpants and a t-shirt then made his way to the large room where he saw his therapist Barry Johnston standing at a low padded table. His crutches clicked as he gradually made his way forward till he was face to face with Barry.

"Okay, we're going to take it easy since this is your first session since the surgery." He patted the table. "We can't bend it, that won't happen for at least another three months." He started to laugh. "What am I doing? You've been through this before."

"Unfortunately." Walker shifted his weight to his left leg then shimmied his arms out of the cuffs. "It feels different than before."

"Different how?" Barry helped Walker onto the table. "Is it the pain?"

Walker slowly nodded. "That and it spasms on occasion." He grimaced as he brought his leg up and rested it on the table. "After four surgeries, this has to rate number eleven for post-op pain."

Barry cocked his head at this bit of news. "Really? That's a lot coming from you." He knelt on the table, by Walker's feet then took hold of the right leg. "How is the pain when I move it?"

"It's there." Walker laid on his back as the pain intensified while Barry moved his leg up. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Yeah, that hurts." He said with a grimace.

"Okay, I'm going to take the brace off and check for any inflammation."

Walker sat back up then helped Barry undo the many straps securing the brace to his leg. This laid it open allowing easy access to pull up Walker's pant leg. Once Barry did he gently pressed against the knee causing a hiss to come out of Walker's mouth.

"It's slightly inflamed, so keep an eye on it. With your age and previous surgeries to the knee it will take a bit longer to heal." He nodded his head. "But the site has healed rather nicely. Just keep using the crutches and keep all weight off that leg."

"Yeah, I've actually been following the doctor's orders." He turned his head as Trivette came walking up to them. "Hey Jimmy. Thanks for coming."

"No problem." His friend grabbed a stool and sat down next to the table. "How's the knee looking, Barry?"

Barry nodded. "Doing pretty good." He lowered the paint leg then started to strap the brace back on. "Some slight pain, but nothing to worry about." After the brace was back on Barry slowly started to lift it till Walker winced. "Nothing else we can really do, but to exercise the hip joint so it doesn't get stiff."

After an hour of easy leg and arm strengthening drills Trivette found himself walking down the hallway with Walker right next to him. The soft clicking of the crutches was a sound all too familiar to Trivette since Walker spent a lot of time walking with them. He held the front door open till his friend went through then patted the man's back as he hobbled past.

"What's the plan for the rest of the day?"

Walker shrugged. "Suppose to go see Jamie today." He shook his head. "You think after seven years, I wouldn't be needing a counselor."

Trivette shook his own head in frustration. "Walker, you gotta understand, it's part of your parole. You can't just stop." He saw his friend's hands tighten around the crutches' handles and knew Walker's anger was about to take control of him once again. "Please, Walker don't do this. Before all of this, you never let your emotions take over…"

His friend took a deep breath then flexed his fingers. "Not now."

"Yes, now. I'm your close friend, Walker." Trivette swallowed hard as his own emotions came to the surface. It pained him to see his once strong friend allowing anger to control his life like this. "Please, just understand, Jamie is there to help you cope with that night…"

"I've coped without help before!"

Trivette took a few deep breaths. "Not with something like this."

Walker's shoulders slumped forward. "Why did you stay by my side? Many Rangers don't talk to me anymore."

"Because you push them away." There, it was now out and in the open, words that Trivette had wanted to say to Walker for several years. "They've tried, believe me…."

"Just take me to my counselor, please." Walker began to make his way to Trivette's car. "I don't want to talk about this right now."

"Fine, fine." Trivette shook his head. "You'll eventually talk to me, Walker. I know you will." He unlocked the doors to his car then turned to his friend. "Hopefully, this session turns out better than the last."

**Fort Worth, Texas**

Inside the waiting room Walker sat in a chair, his eyes focused on a tear in the carpet. He shifted his weight then checked the clock on the wall to see it was about time for him to be called in. This will be the first time he would see Jamie since he told Alex and Cooper everything he did that night.

"Cordell Walker, come on in."

Walker took his crutches and used them to support his body weight as he got up. "How are you today, Jamie?"

"Doing rather well, Walker." She patted his shoulder as he walked past. "How's the knee?"

"It's been better." He made his way into her cozy office then sat down in the love seat across from her desk. Jamie had told him, two weeks into his sessions that she wanted her patients to feel comfortable while they talked with her. "May not have full use of it."

"How do you feel about that?"

Walker shook his head. "How should I feel about it? I'm almost eighty-six. I don't need my leg anymore." He leaned his head back into the chair. "So, what's going on today?"

Jamie sat down in a chair across from him. "I'm going to cut straight to the point. How is your relationship with your family? Have you told any of them what had happened?"

He took a deep breath as he rubbed his face. "Yeah, told my wife and my son…"

"Really?" She started to write on her clipboard. "How did they react?"

For the first time since he started the sessions several years ago, he smiled at Jamie. "They took it better than I had thought. Cooper and I are closer now." His attitude quickly went sour once again. "However, Alex, she took it really hard. She didn't like how I had lied to her all these years." He shook his head at Jamie. "Why am I telling you this? Like you really care. All you ever do is write on that clipboard and nod your head. I don't get, how this is suppose to help me."

Jamie put her clipboard down and smiled at Walker. "It helps to talk things out. For the last seven years, you've remained quiet. If you just showed you had remorse for what you did that night, you wouldn't be here right now."

Walker shook his head. "So, you talk to Officer Howard?"

"Unfortunately, I have to. It's part of your parole."

Anger swelled inside Walker's heart even though he should have known Jamie would talk to his parole officer. "I've said enough…"

"You said, you and your son are much closer now. How is Cooper doing?" When Walker didn't respond, Jamie took a deep breath and leaned forward in her chair. "I know, that must mean a lot to you."

Walker had to admit it, it did mean quiet a bit to him that he and Cooper can now hold a decent conversation. However, could he really tell Jamie that? He began to shift around in his chair as he started to get nervous. Never did he allow anybody to get inside his mind except for Alex and his closes friends. And yet, here was a woman who he has seen several times throughout the years who wanted to know his most secretive thoughts.

He slowly nodded his head. "It does, he even wants to become a Texas Ranger." His voice was low as he spoke. "He's keeping clean, studying for his GED and wants to attend college. He even wants to hear stories from when I was an officer." He smiled again. "Not only are things better with us, but Cooper and Angela are talking as well."

"That's great to hear." She leaned back into her seat. "You know I have to ask…"

"Yeah, I know." He cleared his throat as he started to pick at his right thumbnail. "If you really want to know…" He took a deep breath. "Alvarado haunts my dreams…He was my son's age, he didn't deserve…" He shook his head. "Just wish I could take it back."

Jamie kept her attention focused on him. "What did you do to Alvarado?"

Walker bit his lip. "I honestly don't remember." He said, voice gruff with emotion. "Wish I could recall what I did…but I just can't remember."

"It's called post-traumatic stress disorder. It's one of the reasons why you got such a light sentence." She wrote something inside his folder then tapped her pen against the chair's armrest. "Try to remember, Walker. I know it's difficult, but you need to let it out."

"I told you, I don't remember." Walker's voice reflected his frustration. "If I did, I would have told Howard many years ago." He shook his head. "Are we done?"

Jamie slowly nodded her head. "Yes, I'm done. You can go."

"Thank you." Walker slowly got up, using his crutches to support most of his body weight. "Tell Howard I said hello and I will see him in a few weeks."

**Walker's Ranch**

While his father went to therapy everybody else decided to leave except of course Cooper who was stuck at the ranch house. He hated being alone, especially since it led to boredom which then led to temptations. And to think he still had several more months of this. How was he suppose to stay sane?

A knock came at the front door then he heard it open. "Cooper! It's me, Gage!"

Cooper slowly went to the living room to see his father's estranged friend and his fifteen year old daughter, Brianna making their way to the kitchen. Cooper has never really talked to the oldest of the Gage children and found himself blushing at the sight of her. She was so beautiful, but he knew she was off limits. After all, she was more like a cousin to him then a friend. Brianna gave him a wave then sat down at the dining room table.

Gage patted Cooper's shoulder. "How's the house arrest going for you?"

"Great." Cooper gave Gage a raised eyebrow. "What the hell are you doing here? You and dad hardly talk anymore."

Gage gave him a shrug. "He called and said he wanted to meet me and Syd here."

"But mom has been working on a case for awhile and can't walk away." Brianna piped up as she picked up Cooper's GED book. "How's this coming along?"

"Slow. Do any of you want a drink?"

Brianna nodded. "If you have Coke, I'll take that."

Cooper got a can from the refrigerator. "How's Travis and Eric?"

Gage leaned against the kitchen counter and shook his head. "Eric, is doing great. He's in soccer right now and will be going into Pop Warner next year. As for Travis," He took a deep breath. "Caught him smoking the other day. How old were you when you started?"

"His age, thirteen." Cooper handed the can to Brianna. "Can't believe he started smoking. Is he doing anything else?"

"Not that I know of." Gage shook his head. "I hope not." He looked towards the living room as the door opened. "Hey, Walker! Trivette!"

"Gage!" Trivette made it to the kitchen and gave Gage a big hug. "How are the kids?"

"Caught Travis smoking." He shook his head. "Let's hope that's all he's doing."

Brianna chuckled. "Never know with him." She stood and gave Walker a big hug. "Hey, Walker."

His father gave Brianna a huge smile. "Bri, how's it going?"

"Doing well. Dad let me drive here, against his will of course." She gave Gage a wink. "Mom, doesn't mind it. But dad tends to freak out."

"Well, you tend to drive a little aggressive. It worries me." Gage turned to Walker. "How did you feel when your kids learned how to drive?"

Walker laughed. "Nervous as hell. What amazed me, Cooper was the one that didn't give me problems. Though I have a feeling he's been driving for awhile." He cut Cooper a knowing glance then patted Gage on the back. "Let's go on the back porch."

Once outside Walker fell into the swing, his knee telling him it was time for his medication. But right now he wanted to say something to Gage he has been meaning to tell him for awhile. For the last five years Walker has cut all ties to his once close friend and only knew what was happening with the Gages thanks to Alex talking to Sydney. But right now is the time to change that.

Gage leaned against the wood railing, his arms crossed in front of him. "Why did you call me, Walker?"

Walker took a deep breath as he looked Gage in the eyes. "I'm…sorry." He shook his head. "I…you were just trying to help. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at you."

"Yeah, the words you said back then, hurt me and Syd, quite a bit." He pushed off the railing and sat down next to Walker. "I don't know what you did, but keeping things quiet tore friendships apart." He sighed heavily then patted Walker on the shoulder. "I'm here for you and so is Sydney."

"That you are." He nodded his thanks. "How is the family?"

A big smile spread across Gage's face. "Eric is now ten and loving sports. Travis, other than his smoking has been doing rather well in school and in martial arts. Brianna, smart as hell and acts eerily like her mother." His grin got bigger. "I've been asked to move to Austin. They want me as Headquarters Captain."

"Congratulations! You going to take them up on the offer?"

"Been talking to the family about it, both agree that it's definitely a huge step for me." He nervously started to rub the back of his neck. "But I can't pass up an opportunity like this. If I say yes, my family and I move in two months."

A smile spread across Walker's own face. "Not many Rangers get asked for that coveted position. I say go for it. It will definitely be different, but it's a great way to end a career."

"That it is. I'll be there for about five years then retire." He shook Walker's hand then pulled him in for a hug. "Hopefully we can talk more. I know Travis and Eric would love to come over here more to ride the horses." He pulled back to look through the kitchen window. "How is Cooper?"

"Doing great, he's keeping sober and off the cigarettes." Walker's smile grew even more. "He wants to be a Texas Ranger." He chuckled and shook his head. "Shame Cooper is left handed, I would love to hand my pistol down to him."

"Texas Ranger, huh?" Gage whistled. "We normally don't take people with a record."

"I know." Walker's smile faded. "And even with my name, it will be difficult for Cooper to prove himself." He slowly nodded. "But if he keeps on the right path, I see things working out for him." He smiled once again. "It will be great to see my son where the star."


	10. Chapter 10

**Three Months Later**

The morning sun barely made it's way through the small windows in Cooper's basement room, but it was enough to jar him from a deep sleep. However, as he came to a severe headache greeted him with such intensity he nearly threw up. He slowly sat up, grabbed his stomach then quickly made his way up the stairs to the bathroom all the while hoping he wouldn't run into one of his parents.

Lately he has been getting headaches in the morning that would eventually fade off throughout the day. Thinking it was a side effect of his old drug use habit he didn't tell his family. After all, things were finally looking up, no way did he want to ruin that with something that could be nothing.

As he opened the door, he saw the coast was clear and quickly bolted to the downstairs bathroom. He locked himself in then leaned against the counter trying to steady himself. What was wrong with him? Other than the headaches he is the healthiest he has ever been. He's been clean for several weeks now and actually started to work out.

He took a few deep breaths, splashed his face with cool water then looked in the mirror. His skin was flush, but thankfully color was coming back. After he took a drink of water he exited the bathroom in time to nearly run into his father.

His father's face turned into worry when he looked into Cooper's eyes. "Cooper, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He patted his father on the shoulder. "How's the knee this morning?"

"Stiff, as usual." His father shifted on his good leg then headed to the kitchen, his crutches clicking as he did so. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry." Cooper quickly raised his hands as his father attempted to walk towards him. "Just, not right now. Maybe later." He went up and gave his father a hug. "I'm going to get ready. Remember, today is a big day."

Cooper went back to his room to get his court clothes, hoping today he will finally be free from the ankle monitor. Once downstairs he grabbed a nice button up shirt, a pair of khakis then went on a hunt for his Doc Martins his father had bought him many years ago. Finally, after several minutes of searching he gave up and went back upstairs to take a shower.

"Dad! Have you seen my dress shoes?" He went into the dining room where he found his father reading the newspaper while eating an English muffin. "They seem to have disappeared and all I have is tennis shoes."

"You're about my size, why don't you wear some of my boots?" He chuckled at Cooper's disgusted reaction. "I actually have a pair that I don't wear anymore that you might like." He wiped his face then leaned back to point at the hall closet. "They're steal toed so they don't look like cowboy boots."

Cooper tilted his head in surprise. "Really?" He quickly went to the closet and saw the boots his father was talking about. "Hey, these aren't bad! Thanks!"

As his son ran up the stairs, Walker took a deep breath then returned to reading the newspaper. Apparently there has been a rash of home invasions in the area, all targeting farms or ranches. Let's just hope his house isn't hit. Right now, in his current condition he couldn't protect his family. He shook the negative thoughts out of his head then sipped at his still rather hot coffee. He winced as the liquid seared his throat, but it helped him wake up a bit more.

After he finished his breakfast, he slowly got up to put his dishes in the sink making sure he didn't put a lot of weight on his bad leg. He still wore the stabilizer and will for another month, so it was still hard for him to get around. After cleaning up he took his pain medication then made his way to the living room.

As he sat down on the sofa a knock came at his front door making him grumble. He was about to get up and answer it when Cooper made his way down the stairs. His son looked through the side window then pulled the door open to reveal Trivette with Marcus behind him. Walker's long time friend gave Cooper a hug then made his way into the living room.

"Hey, Walker!" Trivette sat down while Marcus went with Cooper to his room. "How well do you think Cooper will do today?"

"I think he will do great. He's definitely made a huge improvement in just a few short months." Walker shifted his weight to look at his friend. "He's ready for the GED test and he's been clean since his arrest."

"That's fantastic news. James has told me he's picking up on sign language as well." He shook his head. "He just needed a wake up call, huh?"

Walker nodded. "Yeah, and so did I."

"Glad to see you finally getting back to your old self again." He gave Walker a smile. "Talked to Gage this morning. He's doing rather good."

"Can't believe he's Headquarters Captain now." Walker shook his head in disbelief. "How's Marcus and James…." Both their attention went to the basement door as Marcus and Cooper made their way to the living room. "Hey boys, we got about an hour before we leave. Why don't you study your Spanish lessons, Cooper?"

Cooper gave a quick nod. "Will do. Marcus, want to help me out?"

When they went to the dining room, Trivette shook his head. "He's picking up Spanish along with American sign? Wow, he is changing."

"Yeah, and he's picking up quick." Walker smiled as pride swelled in his heart. "He's even doing Taekwondo and Hapkido." He laughed. "Granted it's a bit difficult with the leg, but I manage." His smile got even bigger. "He just keeps getting better and better."

Trivette grinned. "That's great to hear." He pointed at Walker's knee. "How's the knee?"

"Pain has finally subsided enough to be tolerable." His hands began to rub the brace. "Soon, I'll start physical therapy." He shook his head as he chuckled. "Personally, I'm not really looking forward to it."

"Well, knowing you, you'll be up and moving in no time." Trivette patted Walker's shoulder. "Let's just hope the good news will keep on coming."

**Four Hours Later**

The wait has been the worse part of the day for Cooper and he turned to his PO, Sergeant Dennison to see him playing a game on his cell phone. On the other side of him, talking to his father was Trivette who had driven them here. He should have been in court two hours ago, what was the hold up? He checked his watch once again then leaned back to stretch his back.

Dennison took a deep breath then flipped his phone closed. "Wonder what the hold up is?"

"I don't know, but I'm getting hungry." Cooper yawned then rested his elbows on his knees. "What do you think may have happened?"

"Not sure." Dennison stood up to stretch. "Man, hope they hurry up."

As if on cue, a door opened and out walked two men in suits and his mother. Cooper quickly got to his feet hoping the news was only good. However, one look at his mother's face told him otherwise.

She went up to Cooper and gave him a hug. "It's time to go in."

Cooper wiped his sweaty hands on his pants then made his way into the small courtroom. Here he was made to stand at a table with his mother and PO as the judge made her way to the stand. She then motioned Cooper to come forward while other people sat down in the courtroom.

"Cooper Walker, I have looked over your report and have talked to Sergeant Dennison throughout the weeks about your behavior." She smiled then leaned forward. "Is it true that you are getting rather proficient in American sign and Spanish?"

"Yes, ma'am." Cooper swallowed hard. "I have great teachers."

She wrote something down then leaned back into her seat. "The report has only told me good things about you. You seemed to have changed your life around for the better. Heard you're even going to get your GED." Her face quickly soured. "Unfortunately, I cannot remove the ankle monitor, not yet anyway." Cooper's shoulders slumped forward. "But all the charges on you have been dropped on the account that you agree to testify against William Jefferson and anybody connected to him."

Cooper quickly nodded. "Yes ma'am. I will."

A man in a suit and tie stepped up to Cooper. "My name is Agent Love. Because of the threat that Mr. Jefferson put on your family, the FBI wants to make sure their key eye witness will be safe. So, I'll be with your family for the next three months. The monitor will help protect you, Cooper."

"Yes sir." He looked up at the judge. "I just need to get some time to take the GED test."

She nodded. "You will be able to go freely, with permission from Agent Love and Sergeant Dennison. They will be able to turn off the monitor." She smiled at him. "I'm very proud of you, Cooper. I wish that all the kids I saw had your heart and determination. Good luck with whatever you do and I hope to never see you again in court."

After the brief hearing, Cooper along with his father, mother, PO and Agent Love went out for a celebratory lunch. Though Cooper didn't feel so happy about the outcome of the hearing. He didn't want an agent living with them and most importantly he didn't want the stupid ankle monitor. However, all charges of his has been officially dropped which meant he now stood a chance at becoming a Texas Ranger.

He quickly ran in front of his father then opened the passenger side door on Jimmy's car. "Take it easy dad."

His father gradually sat down and handed the crutches to Cooper. "Thanks, Cooper."

"No problem." He got into the backseat with Dennison then shook his head. "Just wish I could have gotten the monitor off."

Dennison patted Cooper's shoulder. "It's just three more months. You can do it."

"Yeah, let's just hope it doesn't drive me crazy."

Later that day, Walker found himself in the dining room checking on Cooper's Spanish drills. So far he has only found a few words Cooper had gotten wrong which amazed him. At this rate his son will be mastering Spanish in a few short months. Cooper is definitely intelligent, just wish he pushed himself this hard in high school. He would actually be graduating and not getting his GED.

Cooper came in and sat down next to him. "How did I do?"

Walker nodded his head. "Rather well. You only missed three words." He leaned back and threw his pen on the table. "Where did you learn Spanish?"

"I don't know." Cooper shrugged. "It's just easy. How did you do with Spanish?"

"Well, it came relatively easy for me." Walker laughed with his son, happy to be able to spend this time with him. "So, you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm doing pretty good. Why you ask?"

Walker took a good look at his son and noticed for the first time Cooper's left eyelid slightly drooped. "You seemed a bit sick this morning."

Cooper chuckled. "Oh, that. The enchilada I ate last night didn't agree with me." He saw Walker roll his eyes and laughed even harder. "I'm telling the truth!"

"Cooper, I can tell in your eyes that you're lying to me." He raised his hands as his son started to argue with him. "It's only because I've had over forty years of experience reading people's intentions in their eyes." He chuckled. "Sometimes it even freaked Jimmy out."

His son's shoulders slumped forward as he nodded his head. "I've been getting headaches lately, but they're usually in the morning."

"How severe?"

"Severe enough to make me wonder what's wrong with me." Cooper's eyes showed confusion. "I'm the healthiest I have ever been, dad. I think it's just a side effect of my old drug use days."

Walker's heart ached at the pain in his son's voice. "If you have one tomorrow morning, don't be afraid to tell either your mom or I. If something is wrong we want to know." He rested his hand on Cooper's knee. "Anything else?"

Cooper shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes my vision is off. But I've been needing new contacts for awhile."

"Hmmm…." Walker slowly got up and went to get the phone. "I'm setting you an appointment with Doctor Jenson. Maybe he can tell us what's going on. You may not want to, but this could be serious."

"Doctor Jenson? But I haven't seen him since I was fourteen! I'm not a kid anymore."

"You're still a juvenile until July." Walker dialed the doctor's phone number, quickly set an appointment for next week then hung up the phone. "Next Tuesday at nine in the morning." Cooper let out a low groan making Walker laugh. "Well, if you want to become a Texas Ranger, you'll have to get use to early mornings."

Cooper shook as though disgusted at something. "Thanks for the reminder, dad."

Walker laughed at his son. "Any time." He glanced in the living room to see Cory Love sitting on the couch watching television. "Why don't you cook dinner tonight?"

"Sure thing, anything you want?"

"Surprise me." He winked at his son then made his way into the living room. "Love, how's it going? And you can tell me the truth." He said with a chuckle.

Love, a twenty-eight year old single FBI agent shook his head. "Doing all right. Need to get use to the slower pace." He shook his head. "But it sure is peaceful."

"Yeah, trust me it never use to be." Walker slowly sat down on the sofa with a heavy sigh. "Sorry you have to be here, but I'm grateful." He looked down at his knee. "Right now I can't really help my family." He turned his head as Alex came through the front door. "Hey, Alex. Cooper decided to cook dinner for us tonight."

She beamed at Walker. "Oh, did he now?" She kicked off her heels, placed her suitcase by the door then made her way into the living room. "Hello, Agent Love."

Love waved then cleared his throat. "I'm going to get some fresh air."

When the agent was out of the house, Walker glanced towards the kitchen to make sure his son couldn't overhear him. "Alex, I'm worried about Cooper."

Alex's smile quickly went away. "What's the matter?"

"He's going to see Doctor Jenson next week." Walker shook his head. "He told me today that he's been having severe headaches every morning and I noticed his left eye lid is slightly drooping." He took hold of his wife's hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. "It might be nothing, but I want him to get checked out just in case."

She took a deep breath then glanced at the kitchen. "You think it has something to do with his old drug use?"

"Not sure." He shook his head as he leaned in closer to Alex. "I'm going to start watching him to see if there is any limb…." A large clatter from the kitchen startled both of them. "Cooper, is everything okay!"

"Yeah, just dropped a spoon." Cooper let out a string of curses. "Dad, do we have fresh garlic?" He walked into the living room, his shirt drenched in water. "I couldn't find any."

Alex got up and took hold of Cooper's left hand. "Dad told me about the headaches."

"Dad!" Cooper cut Walker a scowl. "If I had known you would tell mom…."

"He loves you, that's why he told me." Alex then took hold of Cooper's right hand. "Squeeze both my hands." Cooper rolled his eyes at her. "Please."

Walker slowly got up by using his crutches. "Cooper, just do what your mother says."

"Fine." He did as he was told to do. "Why did you ask me to do that, mom?"

Alex let go of his hands then gave Cooper a hug. "When did you start having the slight weakness on your left side, Cooper?"

Cooper shook his head as he chewed on his lower lip. "A week ago while working on a kata." He cleared his throat as he headed back to the kitchen. "I just remembered where I saw the garlic last. Hope you all don't mind spaghetti tonight."

Walker shifted his weight as his mind raced about what could be wrong with his son. Somebody had to say it and unfortunately he knew it was going to be him.

"Alex, it seems like a neurological disorder." He whispered, his voice showing Alex the emotions racing in his heart. "I'll call Doctor Jenson back and let him know we need tests done." He removed his right arm from the cuff to give Alex a reassuring hug. "Don't worry, it might be nothing."

Alex took a deep, shaky breath. "And what if it is…."

"We'll have to show him that no matter what happens we will be there for him." He rubbed her back then kissed her on the cheek. "Remember, he's our kid. If anything is wrong, he'll pull through. We just got be strong for him."


	11. Chapter 11

**One Week Later**

The day has come for Cooper to finally go see Doctor Jenkins and he wasn't too thrilled about it. Cooper walked into the kitchen to see his father cooking breakfast and the smell alone made him rather nauseous. He cleared his throat then headed to the bathroom where he vomited in the toilet. Why did this only happen in the mornings?

"Hey, Cooper. You going to be okay?" His father's crutches clicked as he made his way into the bathroom. "Is it worse than before?"

Cooper slowly nodded. "Yeah, unfortunately." He wiped his mouth with a towel then faced his father. "When's Jimmy going to be here?"

"In a little bit." He shifted his weight, a habit he had gotten into doing lately. "You do know Doctor Jenkins will want you to go through several tests today?"

"Don't remind me." Cooper splashed cool water on his face, brushed his teeth then gurgled mouth wash hoping to get the foul taste out of his mouth. "Is mom coming with us?"

His father shook his head. "She has a case this afternoon, but she will be able to have a late lunch with us." He removed his right arm from the cuff and patted Cooper's shoulder. "Why don't you take a shower."

"Yeah, sure thing." Cooper glanced down at his dad's knee which was still secured tightly in the brace. "You never told me how your appointment went yesterday."

"Nothing really hasn't changed much." He shrugged. "Doc told me I will never have full use of my knee ever again and will have to use a forearm cane for the rest of my life."

Cooper laughed. "Doc doesn't know you too well, does he?"

"Coop, I'm in my eighties." He shook his head. "Unfortunately my body doesn't heal like it use to." He gave his son a comforting smile. "But don't worry about me. Take a shower, we'll grab something to eat on the way there."

Walker saw a grimace cross Cooper's face and knew what must be going on inside his son's mind. Being sick and not knowing the cause of it could really mess with somebody emotionally. It was hard to imagine that Cooper has been dealing with the headaches for several days now. Let's just hope it was only something very minor.

Agent Love walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. "Did you call Dennison to let him know Cooper needs the monitor turned off?"

"That I did." Walker let out a low groan as he slumped into a rocking chair. "Actually, he should be here at any minute."

"That's good." Love rubbed his stomach. "I need to do some grocery shopping. I ate all my cereal last night." His cheeks turned red with embarrassment. "I got bored."

Walker chuckled. "Not a problem." A knock came at the front door and in walked Dennison. "Morning, Dennison."

"It's too freaking early." Dennison yawned then dropped down on the couch next to Love. "Doctor's shouldn't make appointments before ten in the morning."

"Unfortunately, Cooper's headaches happen only in the mornings."

**An Hour Later**

The doctor's examination room was white with a cartoon panda drawing on one wall. It was so childish and yet somewhat comforting. Cooper sat on a bed, the wax paper crinkling as he shifted his weight around. He hated doctor's, especially when they made him wait. His father sat across from him in an office chair looking bored as well.

Dad checked his watch then rotated his neck. "I hate it when they make you wait." He shifted his right leg and leaned back into the chair with his arms crossed. "Are you nervous at all, Cooper?"

Cooper slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, I just hope it isn't anything serious." He turned as the door opened and in walked Doctor Jenson with a female right behind him. "Hey, doc."

"Cooper, it's been awhile." He shook dad's hand then went right to Cooper. "This is Doctor Stanhope, she's an expert in neurological disorders."

Doctor Stanhope shook dad's hand then Cooper's. "Heard you were having headaches every morning. How severe are they?"

"Severe enough to get me worried." Cooper watched as Doctor Stanhope picked up a folder and took out a pen. "Could it be serious?"

"Not sure, until we take tests." She wrote something down then glanced up at him. "It says here, you've done drugs. Which ones and for how long? Be honest with me."

Cooper bit his lip, looked at his father then let his shoulders slump forward. "I've taken heroin off and on since I was fourteen. Marijuana, but again only a few times. I've drank a lot though, but I've been clean for several weeks now."

"Okay." Doctor Stanhope took out a flashlight and began to shine it into each of Cooper's eyes. "How is your vision?"

"Pretty good." Cooper followed the light with his eyes. "But I've noticed I have some problems focusing with my left."

Doctor Stanhope clicked the light off then nodded. "Okay, I'm going to get some of your blood taken and we're going take you to get an MRI scan. Did you eat anything today?"

"No, ma'am. I couldn't stomach food this morning."

"Okay. It will be about twenty minutes while we get the machine ready. While we do that, we'll get a blood sample from you, Cooper. Follow me."

Cooper took one last look at his father then made his way down the hall with Doctor Stanhope. They walked past three rooms before they came to a wide open space with chairs and trays beside each one. Here, Stanhope asked Cooper to sit down so she can get a blood sample from him.

"All right." Cooper sat down and allowed Stanhope to get blood from his right arm. "What could you read from my blood?"

Doctor Stanhope smiled at him. "Many things. One, I'm going to check your white blood cell count to see if they are fighting against something." She tapped the vial attached to Cooper's arm to get the air out. "There is also a new test that could detect certain types of cancer that is now available."

"Cancer?" Cooper closed his eyes and shook his head. "I dear hope it's not that."

"Well, that's the reason why we're taking the tests today, is to find out." She gently pulled the needle out of Cooper's vein then taped a piece of gauze over the small wound to stop the bleeding. "Okay, now we're going to get the MRI tests done. We will put a dye into your veins, which will help the soft tissue to stand out." She handed the vial to a waiting nurse. "All right, Cooper. This will take about forty minutes."

**XXXX**

In the waiting room Walker maneuvered his way through the sea of chairs towards Trivette. Using crutches has become so second nature to him that he didn't even have to think about moving his arms. Unfortunately, in a few months he will have to start using a cane which could be an all new experience.

Trivette stretched then stood to his feet. "How long will the tests take?"

"About forty minutes." Walker stopped in front of his friend. "I just hope nothing is wrong."

"Yeah, but Cooper will be fine." He grimaced then rubbed his stomach. "We didn't get time to eat. Any of you hungry?"

Love stood up and shook his head. "I can't leave. If you guys get anything to eat, bring me back some."

Walker gave the agent a chuckle. "Sure thing. Have anything in mind?"

"Nah, just food will be great."

Dennison stood up. "I'll go with them." He slapped Walker's shoulder. "I'm going to be your twos bodyguard today."

Ten minutes later Walker found himself walking through the parking lot towards Trivette's car. He was half way there when he got that gut wrenching sensation which always led to something bad. Without bringing attention to himself he slightly swiveled his head to see nothing out of the ordinary. Maybe nothing was going to happen this time.

Trivette jogged up next to Walker and shook his head. "Hey, I just saw you tense up. Is it your knee?"

Walker quickly nodded his head. "Yeah, the knee." But that feeling happened again and his hands flexed around the crutches handles. "There's some pain…."

"Hey, I know you too well, Walker." Trivette quickly made his way in front Walker to stop him from moving forward. "What's going on, man?" He leaned forward while raising his right eyebrow up. "I know that look. It's that Cherokee sense thing, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but it could be nothing." Walker shifted his weight just enough to get more comfortable while standing. "Let's just get something to eat."

Dennison quickly ran up to them with a concerned look on his face. "Walker, is your knee all right? Do you want me to call…." His attention wavered as his hand went to his pistol. "Walker, get behind a vehicle right now."

But before he could even move, Walker heard gun shots from behind him. Trivette swiftly pulled him to the ground, not bothering at all to protect Walker's fragile knee. Excruciating pain shot through Walker's mind and he couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes. His entire world focused on his knee which was now on fire.

"Walker!" Trivette crawled over to him, his eyes quickly going to Walker's right leg. "It's a drive-by, didn't see who it was." He shook his head. "I'm so sorry. You got shot in the right leg." His voice shook with emotions. I didn't mean to pull you down like that."

Walker grimaced and lightly tapped his head against the asphalt. "It's…all right." He took a deep breath as he reached for his knee. "Dennison….Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's good." Trivette looked up as paramedics raced towards them. "Hang on Walker, help is here."

A paramedic gently helped Walker roll over to his back. "Sir, my name is Jeff." He glance down to Walker's right leg then shook his head. "You were shot right above the knee on the right leg. I will need to take your brace off."

Walker quickly shook his head. "No, don't." He said, his voice raspy with pain. "Check it first. See if it's salvageable." He grimaced then turned his head to see Dennison being checked out by another paramedic team. "Anybody else hurt?"

Trivetteshook his head. "No, the firing was focused on you." He took hold of Walker's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I'm so sorry…."

"Don't worry about it." Walker gave his friend a weak smile. "I wasn't going to walk on it anyway." He grimaced as pain shot up from his leg. "If you didn't pull me down, I may not be here."

"Sir, I need for you to leave." Jeff ordered as two more paramedics showed up with a stretcher. "We're going to be taking him to Methodist, about twenty miles from here."

"Right." Trivette patted Walker's hand. "I'll let Cooper and Alex know."

Trivette stepped away from his friend then leaned against the nearest vehicle, which thankfully didn't havea car alarm. All because of his actions his friend may now loose his leg. How could he possibly live knowing he was the one to do this to Walker. He began to feel sick and quickly grabbed hold of his stomach to prevent the orange juice he drank this morning from coming back up.

Dennison came up to him and shook his head. "There was nothing else you could have done, Trivette. You saved your friend's life."

Trivette shook his head. "Just wish I could have done something else."

"Don't let it eat at you." Dennison clapped his hand on Trivette's shoulder. "Let's go to Methodist. Maybe Walker won't loose his leg."

**XXXX**

The stretcher made its way through the hallway and all Walker could do was lay there wishing the pain would go away. Why did this have to happen to him right now? He arched his back as more fire like pain shot up from his knee. Why couldn't he get something for the freaking pain?

Jeff patted Walker's shoulder as though to comfort him. "Almost there, Mr. Walker." He lifted his head and began to shout Walker's vitals, including his age.

Walker laughed through his pain. "You don't have to shout that out."

"You should be proud. Most people at eighty don't look or act anything like you." He gave Walker a very comforting smile. "I hope I'm just like you at your age."

Doctors soon came into Walker's view as a team lifted him up and off of the stretcher. Walker screamed out in agony as intense pain made everything go dark. His breathing started to get ragged and Walker knew he was close to passing out.

"Can I get some morphine in here please!" Shouted a man above Walker. "Sir, I need to take off your brace. It will hurt when I do this."

Walker slowly nodded his head. "Will I keep my leg?"

"We are sure going to try…."

"No, if it can't be saved, don't try." Walker felt a prick in his arm and knew he only had a few minutes to tell the doctor his wishes. "Please…." His mind began to get foggy as the morphine kicked in. "At my age….don't need the leg…" He swallowed hard . "…just hamper me…."

The doctor slowly nodded his head. "I understand. I will see what I can do."


	12. Chapter 12

**One Hour Later**

Inside the waiting room Alex waited for any news about her husband's condition. Next to her sat Trivette who had his face buried in his hands. She felt sorry for her friend who blamed himself for what had happened to Walker. But if he didn't react like he did then Alex might have lost her husband.

A doctor dressed in blue scrubs came into the waiting room, his face not giving Alex any hope. He closed the door behind him then sat down in front of Alex.

"Hello, my name is Doctor Kiel." He shook everybody's hands before he continued. "I don't know how to tell you all this," He took a deep breath. "But we weren't able to save Mr. Walker's leg." He shook his head. "The damage done to his knee and the surgery throughout the years has made the joint incredibly weak. However, I believe with the amputation he should live a rather productive life. Far better than when he had the limb."

Alex nodded her head. "So, the amputation was above the knee?"

"Correct." Doctor Kiel ran a finger over his own right leg, just above the knee. "The bullet went through here," He pointed to the very top of his kneecap. "And basically shattered his kneecap. He will be in some pain when he wakes up since some of his nerves are in shock."

Trivette raked his fingers down his face. "So, was it the shot that did damage to Walker's knee and not the fall?"

"Not entirely sure, but I do know the bullet did a lot of damage." Doctor Kiel nodded his head. "Mr. Walker will be arriving in post-op recovery in twenty minutes. All of you can visit him there."

When the doctor left Alex shakily took out her phone to call Agent Love. Cooper was still at Children's Medical Center and will be for at least another ten minutes. Hopefully all his tests will come out negative, but something in Alex's heart told her otherwise. Something was seriously wrong with her son and soon she and Walker will find out why.

She dialed the number and within seconds the agent answered. "Agent Love, it's Alex. When Cooper gets done with the tests bring him over to Methodist."

"Right. How is Walker?"

"Going to be much better now." Alex took a deep breath then wiped a tear from her right eye. "Just watch over my son."

"Will do, Mrs. Walker."

Alex flipped the phone closed, said a silent prayer for both her husband and son then reached out for Trivette's hand. "It's not your fault, Jimmy."

Trivette shook his head. "Just wish I could have done something, anything to prevent this from happening."

"What we can do now is find out who did this. More than likely it's Jefferson sending Cooper another message." Dennison stood then stretched his long arms. "Walker will be okay. No worries there." He patted Trivette on the shoulder. "Like I told you before, don't let this eat at you. You did what anybody, including myself would have done in that situation."

"I know." Trivette blew through his lips and leaned into his wife as she gave him a hug. "Just wish it never happened."

Erica rubbed Trivette's shoulder. "Let's go see him, Jimmy."

**XXXX**

According to the doctors Walker surgery was a major success, but it sure didn't feel like it to him. His mind was real groggy, his throat hurt like mad and pain began to ebb through his semi-conscious state. Feelings unfortunately all too familiar to him since he has had major surgery done several times before in the past.

A hand gently took hold of his right and gave it a squeeze. "Walker, sweetie. It's Alex."

"Alex…." He swallowed hard then opened his eyes. "Cooper…is he…."

"Still at Children's right now, but Love is bringing him here." She ran her hand through his hair then gave him a kiss. "Do you feel any pain?"

"Only a little." Walker suddenly got very sleepy and he shook his head. "Getting….tired."

"You sleep, Cowboy. I'll be right here." Alex watched her husband fall into a deep sleep, his chest rising and falling evenly.

Trivette sat down next to her while shaking his head. "I did this to him."

Alex wiped a tear from her eye. "No, you didn't." She turned to face her friend. "He could have fallen at home and damaged his knee like that." Her attention went to his right leg to see thick bandages wrapped around what remained of his thigh. "Right now, Jimmy we need to be there for him."

**XXXX**

The news shook Cooper to the core and all he wanted to do was to leave so he can check on his father's condition. Unfortunately, after the MRI test he was to sit and see if any other tests were needed. It was scary not having anybody with him and now more than ever he longed for his parents company. He just hoped his father was all right and his leg had been saved.

Doctor Jenson came into the examine room with a smile on her face. "Okay, so far we don't need anymore tests. I will call your parents to let them know about today's results."

"Thanks, Doctor Jenson." Cooper shook the doctor's hand. "Can I go be with my dad now?"

"Yes, you can. Let me know if anything else comes up."

A few minutes later Cooper walked out into the waiting room to see Love sitting there talking to a uniformed police officer. Love glanced at him then gave him a warm smile. For some reason this comforted Cooper and he relaxed ever so slightly.

Love nodded. "If you're ready, we can get going." He patted the officer on the shoulder. "This is Sergeant Bradshaw. He will be with us."

Cooper shook Bradshaw's hand. "Nice to meet you."

The officer nodded. "Let's get going. Stay close to me."

It was strange having two officers now watching over him, but till Streck was put away it was part of Cooper's new life. He didn't mind it much, in fact it was kind of cool having his own personal bodyguards. Just wish they could have helped his father.

Once out of the hospital, Cooper quickly took his phone out and dialed the number given to him by Love. After being connected to the ICU, Cooper waited impatiently for his mother to pick up on the other line. Why wasn't his father in a room yet?

"Cooper, it's mom." A familiar voice said on the other line. "Where are you right now?"

"Getting inside Love's car. Mom, don't lie to me, how is dad?"

His mother sighed heavily. "Unfortunately, your father's leg had to be amputated. But don't worry, the doctor told me he will live a better life now than he did with the injured knee."

Cooper slumped down into the backseat of the car and buried his face into his hands. "I did this to him. If it wasn't for me getting involved in Streck and the drugs…."

"It wasn't your fault." His mother's voice was soft and reassuring, comforting Cooper almost instantly. "Right now he's sleeping pretty soundly, but Doctor Kiel said he may wake up in a few hours." She paused for a bit and Cooper could hear Uncle Jimmy talking to her. "Uncle Jimmy wants to know how your tests went."

"They were tests. Just hope they didn't find anything." He looked out the window at the passing business that lined both sides of the highway wishing he could have lived a normal life. "We're actually almost there. See ya in a bit mom."

He flipped his phone closed then leaned his head back to look out the rear window. It was actually a beautiful day, but he knew the Dallas weather could change pretty quickly. This place will be home for him for a long time to come….

The sound of tires squealing on black top quickly snapped Cooper out of his thoughts. His seatbelt tightened against his chest causing him to grunt out as a force tried to snap his body forward. Within seconds the car rocked to a stop and Love quickly unbuckled his seatbelt so he could look at Cooper.

"Are you all right?" Blood dripped from a cut on his brow and onto his light blue, dress shirt. "Bradshaw, are you hurt?"

The officer shook his head. "Nah, just shaken up." He quickly undid his seatbelt and got out of the car. "I'm going to check on the other driver."

Cooper's hands were shaking so badly he had difficulty unbuckling his belt from around his waist. Finally after several seconds he was free and able to see out the windshield. In front of their car was a very small vehicle, possibly a hatchback which had slammed into the center divider. Cooper leaned forward to get a better look hoping this wasn't some kind of trick set up by Streck. After several agonizing minutes Bradshaw lifted his hand up in an all clear.

"What the hell happened?" Cooper turned to see Love taking out his cell phone. "What are the odds we would get in a car accident this soon after my father got shot?"

Love shook his head. "Man, you're like your father. Always thinking." He flipped his phone open, selected a number on speed dial then got out of the car. "I'm not going far."

Cooper slowly pushed the back door open so he could get out as well. That strange feeling washed over him once again and ever so slightly he started to sweep the area with his eyes. About a hundred yards from Bradshaw's car the hatchback sat with the officer leaning in talking to the injured driver.

"I don't like this." Cooper shook his head as his eyes scanned for any trouble. "Something isn't right."

Love flipped his phone closed then rested his hands on his hips. "They've tightened security for your father and mother." His right hand gently touched the wound on his temple. "That hatchback just swerved in front of us, no warning at all." Cooper could see his eyes scanning as well. "But you're right, something isn't right here."

Bradshaw sprinted towards them while shaking his head. "I don't feel right about this."

"You too?" Love took out his pistol and held it at his side. "Cooper, hide against the cement barrier till paramedics and DPS arrive."

"Right." Cooper did as he was told and looked up at the FBI agent. "I need to call my parents, let them know I'm all right."

Love nodded. "Go ahead…." He quickly dived for cover as gun fire erupted from the other side of the barrier. "Bradshaw! Get down!"

Cooper brought his knees tightly to his body in protection as bullets ricocheted all around him. As quickly as it happened, it all stopped leaving Cooper very shaken up. He pulled his arms away from his face and saw Bradshaw laying on the ground just inches away from him.

"Bradshaw?" He slowly inched towards the fallen officer thinking he was dead. "Are you alive?"

Bradshaw let out a violent cough then rolled over onto his side to spit out some blood. "Yeah, I'm fine. Bit my tongue." He grimaced as his hand wrapped around his chest. "Love, you still with us?"

Love quickly nodded his head as he put his gun back into the holster. "Yeah, it was a trap." He turned to Cooper then back towards the east. "I shot out the rear window of the car. Call DPS to let them know." He stretched his back then knelt next to Cooper. "Here, let me help you up."

Cooper took Love's hand and allowed the man to pull him up. "Thanks." He shook his head. "And you said it was boring watching over us."


	13. Chapter 13

**Six Hours Later**

As he woke up Walker wasn't as groggy as the last time and he was able to think a bit more clearly. First thing he did was to move his right foot and as he did, pain followed. Did the doctors save his leg even after he repeatedly told them not to? He moved his foot again then decided to wiggle his left to see if there was any difference. Sure enough, he could actually feel the sheets rub against his toes on his left foot.

"Walker, sweetie are you fully awake?"

Walker turned his head to see his wife smiling down at him. "Yeah…Cooper?"

"Right here, dad." Cooper appeared next to Alex, his face showing his worry. "How you feeling? Are you in any pain?"

"Not right now, but I might be heavily drugged." He gave his family a big smile. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." He attempted to pull himself to a sitting position, but was too weak to do so. "Cooper, help me up."

Cooper cut a glance to Alex then shook his head. "Uhm…you just had major surgery…."

Alex patted Cooper's arm. "It's okay. Help your father."

"Sure." Cooper took hold of Walker's right arm and gradually pulled him up. "Dad, I'm real sorry…."

Walker quickly shook his head. "No, don't worry about it." He reached up and gave his son a hug. "Really Cooper, I can adapt to this."

He glanced down at his right leg to see it had been amputated just above the knee. For some reason this didn't startle Walker, instead he just looked at it as a challenge for him to do things he wasn't able to do with the bum knee. Even though he was much older now maybe he could still get back into Judo or Karate. Heck, he can now start teaching Cooper which put a smile on his face.

Cooper gave him a quizzical look. "Why are you smiling?"

"Well, now I can teach you martial arts." Walker took a deep breath. "Don't worry, Cooper. We'll make this work." He looked past his family as a doctor came into the room. "Hey doctor."

The doctor went to Walker's bedside with a smile on his face. "My name is Doctor Kiel, I'll be your orthopedic physician." He checked Walker's right leg then nodded. "Looks pretty good. We'll keep an eye out for infection and we'll start having you walk tomorrow." He wrote a few things on his clipboard then nodded. "Knowing your reputation Walker you'll be out of this hospital within a week."

"And I plan on doing that." Walker cringed as sharp pain started to radiate from his right leg. "When will I be fitted for a prosthetic leg?"

"When the swelling goes down." Doctor Kiel gently put pressure on Walker's leg causing him to grimace. "The nerves in your leg suffered great trauma and unfortunately the pain that comes with it could be severe. We'll try to medicate you as much as possible and hopefully we can keep the discomfort mostly in check."

Walker nodded his head. "Thanks for the heads up." He rested his head back on the pillow then looked at his family. "Where's Trivette?"

"He's at home with James." Alex wrapped her hand around Walker's. "Let us know if the pain becomes too much, okay?"

"I will." He lifted Alex's hand, gave it a kiss then closed his eyes. "I need to talk to Trivette, let him know everything is all right."

"Will do. Just rest right now."

**XXXX**

It amazed Cooper to see his father in such good spirits after having a leg amputated and he wondered if he could have the same attitude if his tests proved positive for any cancer. He kissed his dad on the forehead then left the room with his mother. Outside sat an armed officer and Love who appeared to be on edge. The latter straightened his suit coat before he got to his feet.

"Just to let you know, Cooper, Bradshaw suffered a few bruised ribs, but he'll be fine." He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Cooper, till Jefferson is found we at the Agency will be putting your family in a safe home. I'm allowed to give you an hour to pack what you need for a two week stay…."

"No, my father wouldn't want…."

His mother raised her hand then nodded her head. "I understand." She turned to Cooper and put her hands on his arms. "Cooper, right now this is the only option we have. Your father will understand."

Cooper's shoulders slumped as he glanced back into his father's room. "When do you think he'll be able to leave the hospital?"

"Knowing your father he'll want to leave as soon as possible." His mother gave him a hug. "Don't worry, Cooper everything will be all right. We'll figure things out."

**Later That Night**

The small house wasn't quiet what Cooper expected it to be and right now he found himself sitting in a cramped bedroom unsure of what to do next. There was only one television which had no cable, outdated board games and several home and garden magazines. He did bring along his portable Nintendo unit and mp3 player, but that will only keep him occupied for so long.

He sighed heavily, got up then slumbered out of the room to see what his mother was doing. As he made his way down the hallway the smell of pizza made his stomach loudly growl. Surely they didn't order out, that would make the safe house rather pointless.

Once in the kitchen he saw his mother standing over the counter cutting up a piece into several slices. Cooper saw it was her special green pepper and chicken pizza which was one of his favorite meals. He gave his mother a big hug, kissed her on the cheek and quickly picked up a paper plate.

"Thank you, mom." He turned as Love came in with Dennison right behind him. "Hey guys, gotta try this pizza. It's the best."

Dennison walked up with a frown. "What, no pepperoni?"

"Pepperoni has nothing on this." He gave Dennison a plate with only one slice on it. "It's simple, but really good. It has a unique sauce that my mom makes by using sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and basil"

Love took the plate from Dennison and took a big bite of the hot pizza. "Oh, hot, hot." He breathed out while still keeping the food in his mouth. After a few seconds he finally closed his mouth and started chewing the pizza. "Oh man, this is really good, Alex."

Cooper's mother gave Love a big smile as she put another slice on his plate. "You should get some, Dennison. It goes quickly."

Dennison graciously took two slices then sat down at the little table in the kitchen. "So, how many agents do you have patrolling this place, Love?"

"Enough." Love sat down across from him with a glass of water and a plate of food. "They are all undercover and even I don't know what half of them look like."

Cooper went into the living room and sat down on the couch. "So mom, you think dad will adapt pretty well with a prosthetic leg?"

"Oh yeah." His mother sat down across from him in a rocking chair and put her glass of water on the table next to her. "Knowing your father, this won't put him back one bit." She took a bite of the pizza then spoke again. "How are you feeling, Cooper? Any more headaches or dizzy spells?"

"Nah, but we'll see what the morning brings." He tried to put his glass on the coffee table, but he had problems steadying his left hand. "Just hope it isn't anything severe."

His mother quickly got up to sit next to Cooper. "Sweetie, let me help you."

"Nah mom, I got it." He put the glass on the table as his cheeks flushed bright pink. "Don't worry about it. I'm okay, really."

"Okay, but let me know if something isn't right."

Cooper gave his mother a big smile. "Yeah, I will." He took a bite of the pizza. "Right now, let's enjoy the pizza and pray that dad won't drive the nurses insane."

XXXX

It was well past dinner time and Walker wanted real food, but instead was given very dry chicken with corn and a Jell-O cup. He chewed on the chicken for awhile then had to take a drink of water to get it down. Man, how many more meals like this will he have to tolerate before he could leave this joint?

"Hey, I bet your craving some real food right now." Trivette came in with a large, green takeout bag in his hand and a Styrofoam cup in the other. "I hope your hungry."

"Starving, actually." Walker pushed himself up till he was sitting higher on the bed. The move brought on a sharp stab in his right leg which nearly made him hiss out in pain. "What did you bring me?"

"Barbeque pulled pork with steak fries and coleslaw." Trivette grimaced at the hospital food in front of Walker. "Were you actually eating that?"

Walker put his fork down, moved the tray to a side table and waved for the food Trivette brought him. The smell of barbeque overwhelmed Walker's senses causing his stomach to let out a very loud growl. He pulled out the wrapped sandwich very grateful Trivette had gotten him some good food.

Trivette sat down next to him and popped a straw into the cup's lid. "Got you lemonade."

"Thanks." Walker took a big bite of the sandwich then wiped his face with a napkin. "How are you doing, Trivette?"

"Okay, I guess." His eyes drifted down the bed to glace at Walker's right leg. "Sorry…."

Walker swallowed the food he had been chewing so he could talk. "Don't ever feel guilty about what had happened to me. You did nothing wrong, you saved my life. I owe you, Trivette." He took a sip of the lemonade and shook his head. "This is just a little set back, but I'll be on my feet in no time." He took another bite of the sandwich just a nurse came into the room. "Hey, Hunter."

Hunter shook his head. "I'll let this slip for now."

"Thanks, because even I can't eat the hospital food." Walker wiped his mouth then glanced at Hunter. "So, can I get my crutches and use the restroom? I see no reason to have the catheter in, I'm perfectly fine."

Trivette choked on a fry. "Jeez, Walker, I'm right here."

"Sorry, Trivette but I want to get out of this bed as soon as possible." He glanced once again at Hunter. "So, what do you think?"

"Well, if you're up to moving around so soon after the surgery I have no problem with it. When you're done eating, let me know." He grabbed the hospital tray and shook his head. "Normally the food is good. Guess the cook was having a bad day." He patted Walker's shoulder. "Enjoy the barbeque."

"I will, and thanks." Walker watched Hunter leave then took a big bite of the coleslaw. "So, how is the family, Trivette?"

Trivette took a sip of Walker's lemonade then shrugged. "Marcus is rethinking his career choice. He's not sure if he wants to be a trauma surgeon." He took a deep breath and started to play with a fry. "He's thinking on becoming a Texas Ranger."

Curiosity crossed Walker's face at this bit of news. "Really? What could have changed his mind?"

"Everything that is going on right now with you and Cooper." He shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, Walker I would love to see him as a Ranger, but he has put in so much money and time at Duke. Just hope he makes the right decision."

Walker let out a chuckle. "Maybe him and Cooper could become partners. Would that be something." A huge smile spread across his face. "It'll be the first in the Ranger's long history that second generation Rangers were partners."

"Wow, that would be something." A smile spread across Trivette's own face as he giggled. "And if Angela was a DA it would be like us all over again." He nodded. "Well, whatever decision Marcus makes I know it'll be a good one."


	14. Chapter 14

**Five Days Later**

This day couldn't come soon enough for Walker and right now he sat on the edge of his hospital bed allowing Alex to roll up his pant leg. It was definitely strange to see no leg on his right side, but other than a slight stab of pain he knew this was for the best. With his leg as it was before, he could never have full use of it. Now, though much older he stood a chance of being athletic again.

Alex pinned the folded up pant leg then patted Walker's good knee. "Now, remember you're much older now. Don't start doing the things you use to."

"I won't, don't worry." Walker gave Alex a wink as he used his crutches to stand. "Let's get out of here." He swung his good leg forward and realized it was actually easier now to walk since he didn't have to drag his right leg around. "Where's Cooper?"

"Waiting by the nurses station with Love and Dennison." Her phone began to chirp making her grumble. "Wonder who that can be?" She quickly checked the number then snapped her head up. "It's Doctor Stanhope."

Walker slumped back on the bed, his heart racing at what the news would be. He intently watched Alex's expression as she talked with Doctor Stanhope hoping to spot any slight changes in her eyes. And he saw it, a slight narrowing in the corners that told Walker that she was worried about something.

After a few minutes she hung up the phone, but kept it close to her chest. "Doctor Stanhope wants us to see her as soon as we can. We'll get you home and I can take Cooper…."

"No, I'm coming with." He quickly put a hand up to politely stop Alex from arguing with him. "I'll be okay, there's only some slight pain." He slipped his hand back into the crutch's cuff and moved towards her. "I want to be there for Cooper."

"Right." Alex took a deep breath and nodded her head. "Oh, Walker she didn't sound optimistic. What if something is seriously wrong with our son."

Walker gave his wife a reassuring hug. "We'll be there for him." He pulled back to look Alex in the eyes. "Don't you worry, he's our kid."

XXXX

Down the hall Cooper waited with Love and Dennison wondering what was taking his parents so long. He glanced at his watch then back down the hall to see they still haven't left the room yet. What if his father fell? Maybe he should make sure everything was all right. But just as he made up his mind his parents came out of the room, his father using what looked like his usual crutches. It was strange though to see him without a right leg, it was so unnatural.

Dad stepped up to him with a smile on his face. "Let's get out of here."

Cooper however saw the worry hidden in the corner of his father's eyes. "Dad, what's the matter?" He glanced over at his mom to see the same look on her face. "What's going on?"

"Cooper, let me check your father out, then we can talk about it." His mom gave him a hug then turned back to dad. "You're almost out of here, cowboy."

As his parents left to sign the paperwork Cooper leaned back against the counter wishing he knew what was going on. He turned to the agents to see a look of confusion on Dennison's face and Love reading a pamphlet. Wonder what was going on?

After several minutes his parents finally reappeared with an evidence bag full of dad's belongings and several pieces of paper. Cooper quickly ran up to them, but no words were said as the family walked out of the hospital together. Dad made good timing using the crutches and was actually faster than Cooper maybe because he didn't have to worry about his right leg anymore.

Once at the car, Cooper opened the passenger side door and helped his father inside. As dad sat down he grimaced when his right leg hit the seat cushion. His hands gently took hold of his thigh, which worried mom. But when she tried to help him dad quickly waved her away.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Dennison stepped up and patted Cooper on the shoulder. "I picked the short straw, I'll be riding in the back with you. Love will follow in an unmarked car."

Cooper shook his head with a smile then tried to open the back door with his left hand. Unfortunately it seemed his fingers wouldn't respond to his command and they slipped from the handle. He quickly glanced through the window to see his father and mother didn't notice, but Dennison did. The officer shook his head as he opened the door for Cooper.

"You should tell them." He whispered once he got in and closed the door.

"Not now." Hissed Cooper.

Dad leaned his head back. "Is everything okay?"

Cooper quickly nodded his head. "Yes, everything is fine."

As his mom drove through the streets Cooper just stared through the window wishing he wasn't left out of the loop. What did his parents know that he didn't? It must have been something big since both remained rather quiet. He shifted his weight so he can lean on the door and as he did this he realized they were not heading home.

"Mom, dad where are we going?" He leaned forward to get a look out the windshield. "What's going on?"

His dad took a deep breath then shook his head. "We got a call from Doctor Stanhope about your test results. She wants to see us immediately."

"Oh." Cooper now realized what was going on and bowed his head. "I'm sorry…."

"No, it isn't your fault." Dad shifted his weight so he can get a better look at Cooper. "Don't ever say sorry for this, okay?"

Cooper nodded. "Yeah, okay." He began to chew on his bottom lip as the nerves raced through his body making his stomach slightly queasy. "What did she say?"

Mom shook her head. "Just that we needed to see her immediately."

**Twenty Minutes Later**

The doctor's office was neatly decorated with several diplomas on the walls and pictures on the desk. Walker sat uncomfortably in his seat wishing Doctor Stanhope would hurry with the news. He nervously bounced his foot as he studied the nameplate on the desk. What could be so serious that the doctor wanted to see them immediately? He glanced over at Cooper to see his son nibbling on his thumbnail.

He reached over and patted his son's knee, to hopefully comfort not only Cooper but himself. Whatever the news may be, he and Alex will have to stay strong for their son. His current condition meant nothing right now. He could easily live the rest of his life with just one leg, however his son was only seventeen. Cooper still had his entire life to look forward to. Hopefully this will only be a minor set back.

"I apologize for the wait." Doctor Stanhope made her way into the office with a large manila envelope tucked under her right arm. She quickly went to a light box and took out a large gray film from the envelope. "Do you want the news now?"

Walker nodded his head. "What's the problem, doctor?"

Doctor Stanhope flipped on the light then pointed to a segment of Cooper's brain. "This is the brain stem." She took a pen and waved it around a bright white spot near the back. "This is a large mass on Cooper's brainstem." She let out a heavy sigh then shook her head. "I'm afraid there is a ninety-five percent chance it could be cancerous."

The news startled Walker so much it seemed his whole world faded away from him. His son had cancer, the worst possible outcome there could be. He glanced over at Cooper to see his mouth was slightly open as his eyes narrowed in realization.

Cooper shook his head. "No, that can't be right." He stood up and glanced down at Walker. "I can't have cancer, there is no way!" He ran his hands through his hair as he started to pace. "Must be mistaken. Can we take more tests?"

Alex took hold of Cooper's hand to try and calm him down. "Sweetie, you need to sit down and let Doctor Stanhope talk…."

"No, mom." He pulled his hand away to continue pacing. "Please tell me doctor, what are my chances?" He paused to look at Stanhope. "Don't sugarcoat it. I want to know what I'm working with here."

Doctor Stanhope shook her head. "I will have to perform a biopsy to really see if the tumor is cancerous and if so, how strong it is." She went to her desk and sat down. "I can schedule the biopsy three weeks from now."

"What?" Walker's eyes were wide in disbelief. "Why take that long?" He tried to get up but was abruptly stopped by Alex and the pain in his right leg. "Why can't he have a biopsy any earlier than that? This is serious!"

"I apologize, but that is the only available time we have." Doctor Stanhope sighed heavily as she played with a pen. "We also have to start talking about long term, just in case it is cancerous. Will Cooper be doing chemotherapy or radiation? There is a high risk with chemotherapy…."

Cooper shook his head. "I can't deal with this right now. Mom, let's go."

"No, we need to hear Doctor Stanhope out." Alex's voice was stern making Cooper to sit back down. "What are the risks with chemotherapy?"

"If not done properly, it could kill Cooper." She cleared her throat and wrote something down on Cooper's folder. "What will be your decision?"

"I don't want chemo or radiation." Cooper once again stood up and shook his head. "I'll be outside in the waiting room."

When their son left the room Alex reached over and took hold of Walker's hand. Both shared a look only parents can give; one full of concern as well as deep emotional pain. Their seventeen year old son had a brain tumor that could be cancerous, something neither of them were prepared for.

Walker took a deep breath then cleared his throat. "How long do you think he has?"

"After the biopsy we will get a good idea. Right now, I'm sorry to say but maybe less than a year." She shook her head. "Usually when the patient starts experiencing symptoms, like Cooper has, the cancer unfortunately has already done a lot of damage."

"Okay." Walker's voice was low as he tried to control his emotions. "Thank you so much, doc." He slowly stood up by using his crutches and shook Stanhope's hand. "We'll call you if anything happens."

**Later That Night**

The ranch house was very quiet even Love had nothing to say as he sat on the couch sipping hot tea. Alex sat across from him in the rocking chair, her attention focused solely on the carpet at her feet. Her whole world seemed to have fallen in on her and she just wanted to break down. First Walker having his leg amputated and now Cooper had a brain tumor that could be cancerous. Why does only bad things happen to her family?

She took a sip of her tea then slowly stood up to check on Walker who was sitting on the porch swing. Once outside she sat down next to him then wrapped her arm around his thin waist. Ten years ago Walker had gone through a period of weight loss that had many people worried about him. Eventually Walker leveled off, but he was still much thinner then he should be.

Walker wrapped his arm around Alex and pulled her into a hug. "Cooper is taking a walk. I told him to just keep an eye out for anything suspicious." He grimaced as he shifted his weight around to get more comfortable. "He needs some time to alone to think things out."

Alex took hold of her husband's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Just like his father." She took a deep breath as her attention went to his right leg. "How is your leg? Do we need to change the bandage?"

"Probably." Walker moved his shorts up just slightly to get a look at the white bandage around his thigh. "Should let it air out." He slowly stood and hobbled on one foot. "Let's head back inside. Our son should be in anytime soon."

Slowly Walker limped into the house and to the downstairs bathroom where he sat down on a low bench. Here he grabbed some scissors and started to cut away the thick bandage. As he did this, Alex got his medication ready along with the ointment to put on the suture sight. Once Walker had the bandage cut away from his thigh, Alex could see the black stitches and the slight bruising around it. The swelling has gone done tremendously which has helped quite a bit with his pain.

"Hey, mom, dad." Cooper came into the bathroom and sat down on the toilet lid. "Looks like it's healing rather nicely. Any pain?"

"Just some slight discomfort, but nothing I can't handle." Walker took a deep breath then smiled at Cooper. "How was your walk?"

Cooper shrugged. "It was a walk." He massaged the back of his neck then shook his head. "What are the odds that all of this happened at roughly the same time?"

Alex gave Walker his pain medication then went to comfort her son. "We had no control over this." She wiped the tears away from her son's face. "We'll pull through this together."

"I'm hoping." Cooper took a deep breath then stood up. "I'm going to get ready for bed." He gave Alex and Walker a hug. "I'll be downstairs if you need me."

After their son left the bathroom Alex let the tears fall from her eyes. How could she remain so strong? There was only so much she could handle and she was very near to that breaking point. Walker gradually humbled over to her, gave her a strong hug and she could feel his own tears falling on her shoulder. Neither one needed to say a word, both knew what each other was feeling.


	15. Chapter 15

**One Month Later**

The light blinded Cooper as he awoke from a restless sleep and as he turned his head a sharp pain reminded him of his surgery. He let out a loud groan as his hand quickly went to the nape of his neck where most of the pain radiated from. His fingers could feel the stitches which ran down the back of his skull, a reminder of how close he came to death. Doctor Stanhope had done surgery four days ago, removing most of the tumor on Cooper's brain stem, unfortunately plenty more of it remained. Which meant Cooper's life was now going to be dependent on pain meds and chemo.

He slowly sat up hoping to not get light headed, but it didn't work out. His stomach lurched violently and before he could stop himself he threw up all over the floor. Very shakily he wiped his mouth then sidestepped away from the mess so he can go to the restroom. It always embarrassed him when he got sick like this, it made him so weak.

A soft clicking sound told Cooper his father was making his way towards the room. Great, how was he suppose to explain what happened? Cooper went into the bathroom, rinsed his mouth out then took a look in the mirror. It still took him aback to see his shaved head and he gently ran his hand across the stubble on his scalp. When he had gotten out of surgery, only the back half of his head was shaven so when he got home his mother trimmed the rest.

"Hey Cooper, how are you feeling?" His father came into the bathroom with deep concern etched on his face. "I saw what happened in the room…."

"I'm fine." Cooper gave his father a weak smile. "I'll clean it up."

Dad quickly shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He gave Cooper's shoulder a gentle pat. "You just rest up."

After his father left Cooper washed his face then slowly made his way into the living room. Today he will be going back to the hospital to get an MRI so Doctor Stanhope can gauge on what type of treatment Cooper needed. It will also be used as a baseline for future comparisons.

"Cooper, what are you doing up?" His mom came out of the guest bedroom with a bucket in one hand and floor cleaner in the other. "You should…."

"Rest. I know, I know." Cooper slumped down onto the couch and closed his eyes. "Sorry about the mess, mom. I'll remind myself to put a bucket in there."

His dad came into the living room then sat down on the rocker. "Your appointment isn't for another five hours. You should get some sleep."

"I can't sleep." Cooper shook his head. "Wish I could though."

His mom gave him a smile. "Just take it easy today. Okay?"

"Don't worry mom, I'll be fine."

XXXX

Seeing his son like this tore at Walker's heart and he just wished he could do something to help him. This was the one thing he couldn't fix making him mad and scared. He didn't want his son to die before him, that wouldn't be fair especially since Walker should have died numerous times but didn't. Why did God do this to his son?

He glanced down at his rolled up pant leg wondering how he got off so lucky. His hand rubbed his right thigh then went to the safety pins which kept his jeans loosely rolled up. He had been fitted for a prosthetic leg a week ago and should have it within the next two weeks. He will be receiving it at the time Cooper will be on radiation. And how could he be happy when his son will be suffering?

Cooper took a deep breath then cleared his throat. "Mom, can you make some chicken broth today?"

Alex patted her son's knee. "No problem, Cooper. You want toast with that."

"Yeah, but no butter." Cooper slowly got up and smiled at Walker. "I'm going to take a shower. Be down in a bit."

When Cooper left Walker allowed his shoulders to slump forward in defeat. "Alex, I don't know what to do for him." His voice shook with emotions as a stray tear fell from his eye.

"Oh, Cordell." Alex quickly got up, sat on the rocker's arm then wiped away the tear from his face. "He'll pull through."

"Just wish I could do something to help him." Walker quickly cleared his throat as Agent Love came into the living room. "Love, how are you enjoying yourself?"

Love shrugged his shoulders. "I'm okay, the basement however creeps me out." He still wore his sleep clothes showing he had just woken up. "Not sure how Cooper managed to sleep down there all those years." He glanced around then sat down on the rocker. "How is Cooper this morning?"

Walker shook his head. "Still very weak. Hopefully the radiation will help him."

**Later That Day**

C.D.'s Bar and Grill has been like a second home to Cooper, but right now it didn't feel very comforting. He sat at a table with a glass of ginger ale in front of him, his mind replaying what Doctor Stanhope had told him. As it turned out he will have to undergo radiation therapy which will start tomorrow. Why did this have to happen to him? What did he do to deserve all of this?

He sipped at the ginger ale then started to play with the placemat in front of him. Many questions ran through his mind and unfortunately he knew they may never be answered. He will have to fight through this, no matter how rough the road may be for him.

"Hey, Coop." Marcus sat down in front of him with a smile on his face. "Thought maybe a friendly face will help cheer you up."

Cooper shook his head at seeing his friend. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Marcus took a glance at his father then leaned across the table. "I'm taking time off from Duke, need to rethink my career choice."

"But you spent so much time and money there…."

"I know, but I don't think it's for me." Marcus' smile slowly went away. "No offense man, but you look like hell." He shook his head. "Radiation, huh?"

Cooper nodded and slid several pamphlets across the table towards Marcus. "That is everything I need to know about what to expect while going through this treatment. The cons right now outweigh the pros."

"That might be true, but if you're anything like your father, you'll be stubborn as hell through all of this." He flipped through the pamphlets with a shake of his head. "Hair and weight loss, decreased appetite…." He flipped through with a grimace on his face. "It even says it might even mimic your tumor. Now that ain't right." He took a deep breath then smiled. "Well as your friend, I'll be there for ya."

"Thanks, I actually really appreciate this." Cooper took a sip of his ginger ale then smiled at his friend. "What does your father think about you dropping out of college?"

Marcus laughed. "Slightly annoyed, but I can tell he's kind of proud of my decision."

"What is your new career choice anyway?"

"Texas Ranger." The smile slowly faded away from Marcus' face once again. "Cooper, the reason why I want to follow in my father's footsteps is because of you."

Cooper had to laugh at his friend's words. "Why me?"

Marcus chuckled. "For as long as I've known you, you've wanted nothing to do with your father. But now, you want to be like him." He pointed at the pamphlets on the table. "You fight through this and maybe some day we can become partners in the Texas Rangers. Now, wouldn't that be something!"

**Two Weeks Later**

The morning air was very still sending a chill down Walker's spine as he awoke from a light sleep. He slowly got up unsure as to why he felt this way then his mind quickly went to Cooper. Gradually he got up to get his crutches knowing right now that is the quickest way he could get around.

After taking the steps one at a time he made his way to the guest bedroom to check on his son. Ever since he started radiation therapy Cooper hasn't been himself and has lost a considerable amount of weight. Walker just hoped the radiation was actually working for his son, he really didn't want Cooper going through chemo as well.

He slowly opened the door to see his son sleeping on top of the blankets, his bare chest showing Walker how thin he really was. Hopefully after the treatment he will gain weight back and be the old Cooper again. And what if the treatment didn't work? What if Cooper's life was cut short all because of the tumor? Just thinking about losing his son almost brought tears to Walker's eyes and he quickly had to clear his throat.

He made his way over to his son's bedside then gradually sat down, but when Cooper didn't stir his heart skipped a beat. Instead of panicking he took a deep breath then leaned down to check if Cooper's chest was moving.

"Dad, what are you doing?"

Walker snapped his head up and nearly fell off the bed in surprise. "Coop! How long have you been awake?"

"Just woke up." Cooper stretched then slowly sat up with a smile on his face. "Actually had a good nights sleep."

"That's great to hear." Walker bent down, grabbed a plastic container from under the bed and put it next to Cooper. "How you feeling so far?"

Cooper nodded. "Surprisingly good." His stomach began to growl very loudly causing both men to chuckle. "Think I can finally stomach food…." His face quickly soured. "I hope."

Walker gave his son's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Feel like some toast?"

"Yeah and maybe one egg." Cooper slowly swung his legs to the side then stood up. "I'm going to take a shower. Let me know when breakfast is ready."

As his son gathered his clothes, Walker made his way into the kitchen. Here he rested his crutches against the counter then hobbled on one foot to get around. Hopefully in a few days he will start therapy with his prosthetic leg. Then, he might actually be able to get around rather well, better than he did before the shooting.

A loud thud caused him to drop the loaf of bread he was holding and reach for his crutches. He fumbled with the arm cuffs, frustrated that he couldn't move any faster. The basement door burst open and out ran Love still wearing his pajamas.

"What happened?" He quickly spotted Walker then spun around his eyes getting big. "Cooper! Are you all right!"

Walker's heart began to thud against his chest as he desperately tried to get to his son. He hated feeling so helpless and right now, more than ever he wished he was back to his old self again and not like this lame cripple. By the time he reached the stairs, Cooper had gotten back up, but Walker could see a dark red spot on his son's arm.

"Cooper! All you right?" He tried desperately to hide the fear in his voice, unfortunately it still shook. "What happened?"

Cooper's cheeks turned a nice shade of pink as he shook his head. "I think I just got a little light headed. That's all." He went up to Walker and gave him a hug. "Don't worry dad, I'm fine. Just a little bump, that's all."

"Are you sure? Do I need to call…."

"Dad, I'm fine." Cooper put his hands on Walker's shoulders then gave him a lopsided smile. "Go fix breakfast. I'll be down in a bit."


	16. Chapter 16

Once back in the kitchen Walker began to work on breakfast hoping his son would be able to stomach the food today. Because of the radiation Cooper drank Ensure and other food supplements to help keep his energy up. If he managed to keep eggs down today it will be a huge step in his recovery.

The phone began to ring causing Walker to grumble, but thankfully all he had to do was turn around and hop a few paces. As he picked it up Love came in to finish cooking breakfast. It's about time that man decided to pull his own weight around here.

"Walker, speaking."

"Walker, it's Doctor Kiel. How are you doing this morning?"

Walker nodded. "Doing all right. What's going on, doc?"

"Your prosthetic leg came in, when did you want to make an appointment?"

"Wow, that was quick." Walker limped to the calendar on the wall to see he was relatively free for the week. "When are you available next?"

Doctor Kiel let out a chuckle. "It won't be me, but Doctor Oudekirk is free later today, around four."

"Sounds great to me."

Love gave Walker a huge smile. "Your leg came in?"

Walker went to the stove to see Love had overcooked the eggs. "Yeah, I have an appointment later today." He took over the cooking with a shake of his head. "And Love, next time, don't try to cook."

A laugh signaled Cooper's arrival to the kitchen. "Love, are you trying to make me sick?" He gave Walker a hug then cringed at the eggs. "I'll wait at the kitchen table."

"Well I'm sorry you two." Love put the fork down then rested his hands on his hips. "I'm a bachelor, I rarely, if ever cook."

**Later That Day**

Being nervous was an understatement for Walker as he sat in the waiting room waiting for a nurse to call his name. Next to him set Alex who had brought a book and was now reading it. Cooper would be here but after eating breakfast he once again got very sick. Add to that his therapy and Cooper was again laid up in bed. It hurt Walker to see his son so frail and he wanted to do something to help Cooper with the pain.

His hand gently massaged his right thigh as he tried to control his breathing. Why was he so scared? He glanced up to see the secretary looking right at him making him even more nervous. Walker cleared his throat as he started to bounce his foot up and down.

Alex rubbed his shoulder, comforting Walker almost instantly. "It's going to be okay."

"I know." Walker gave his wife a smile as he took hold of her hand. "Glad you're here."

A door opened and out walked a man with a folder in his hands. "Mr. Walker, sorry about the wait." He went up to them with a smile. "My name is Doctor Oudekirk, I'll be fitting you with your new prosthetic leg."

Walker shook he man's hand. "Nice to meet ya doctor." He stood up with the aid of his crutches and followed Oudekirk to the door. "So, what are the plans today?"

"Make sure the leg fits right and adjust it to your gait." Oudekirk led Walker to a room where he told him to sit down on a paper covered bed. "All right, get yourself comfortable and I will be right back with your leg."

When the door closed leaving Walker alone with Alex he let out a deep breath. He took a look at his right leg not believing he was now going to be dependent on a prosthesis. For the last few weeks he has done a lot of research on leg amputees to see how they managed to cope with their new lives. From what Walker read the people were able to keep doing the things they loved to do, some had even gotten healthier.

The door opened and in walked Oudekirk with a very thin leg in his hands. "Okay, I'm going to show you how to put the leg on and let me know if it's uncomfortable."

Alex took hold of Walker's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "And don't lie, Walker."

Walker let out a nervous chuckle. "I'll try not to."

Doctor Oudekirk sat down on a backless stool so he can unroll Walker's pant leg. After he did that he spread some powder on the stump then slipped on a sock. Alex intently watched Oudekirk as he put on the limb and once secured he rolled back to get a look at it.

"Looks really good. How does it feel?" Asked Oudekirk.

"Really good." Alex could see Walker's cheeks turn a faint shade of red, a sign he was embarrassed. "What now?"

Oudekirk went to a computer, typed a few commands then attached a wire to Walker's leg. "Okay, now stand up."

Alex attempted to help Walker but he quickly waved her off as he slid off the bed. Walker was a bit wobbly at first but he quickly got his balance. A lone tear fell from Alex's cheek as pride swelled inside of her heart. Oudekirk adjusted a hinge on Walker's knee then rolled back three feet.

"Okay, now I want you to swing your right leg forward. It will feel a little strange to you at first, but you'll get the hang of it."

Walker took a deep breath as he reached out for Alex's help. This small gesture took Alex aback and she quickly grasped her husband's waiting hand. After a few minutes of hesitation Walker finally swung his leg forward almost as though it was truly a part of him.

Alex quickly wiped away the tears that gathered at the corner of each eye. "How's it feel, Walker?"

"Great, really comfortable." Walker glanced at Oudekirk with a smile. "I haven't moved that freely in years."

Oudekirk chuckled. "Well, it will only get easier." He went to his laptop, typed in several sequences then went back to Walker. "Okay, now attempt to take one more stride, this time with your good leg."

Walker's grip on Alex's hand got much tighter as he balanced on his artificial leg. He wobbled quite a bit before resting his left foot on the ground. Oudekirk looked at his laptop then nodded at Walker.

"Walker, the microchip is picking up on your stride." He nodded his head. "You can sit down. The computer will take a bit to download the info to your leg."

**Walker Ranch**

While his parents were at the doctor's office Cooper stayed at home to hopefully get a nap in. Unfortunately sleep didn't come easy and he found himself laying in bed curled up under the blankets. He didn't want to move his head or open his eyes, he just wanted to relax. It frustrated Cooper that he was so sick and unable to do anything about it. Just thinking about all the money his parents were spending on him brought on a new wave of guilt.

The door to the room opened and soft footsteps made their way inside. Cooper slowly pulled the covers away from his face to see Marcus smiling down at him. In his friend's hand was a can of Ensure and a Black Belt magazine.

"Wanted to stop by and see how you were doing?" Cooper moaned as he hid back under the blankets. "Do you want me to leave?"

Cooper shook his head. "No, you can stay." He gradually sat up with his back against the headboard. "Thanks for coming by."

Marcus handed Cooper the can of Ensure while he sat down on a chair by the bed. "There's some really good articles in the magazine."

"So, have you made a decision yet?" Cooper popped the can open and took a careful sip. "Will you be staying at Duke?"

"Nah, I've talked to the dean and I should be able to transfer credits to a college of my choice." He began to roll the magazine in his hands, a sign he was nervous. "That or I switch my major and loose everything I've worked on."

"Ouch." Cooper took a bigger drink of the Ensure then smiled at his friend. "So, I was thinking about our conversation a few weeks ago." He took a deep breath as he shook his head. "Because of what's going on I can't get into the military and my chances of becoming a Texas Ranger are very slim."

Marcus chuckled. "You're Cordell Walker's son! If they deny you it would almost be sacrilege." He took the Ensure drink from Cooper and took a sip. "Huh, that's actually not as bad as I thought it was." A huge smile spread across his face as he pulled out a Jell-O cup from his coat pocket. "I heard you really like the cookie dough flavor."

Cooper graciously took the Jell-O from his friend and laughed when Marcus took out a plastic spoon. "Thanks, it seems to be the only thing I can stomach."

"How much longer do you have till the end of the radiation therapy?"

"I'm scheduled for six weeks then I get an MRI to see if it shrunk the tumor." He let out a chuckle as he rubbed his smooth face. "I haven't shaved in a week….I'm surprised I still have my hair and eyebrows."

Marcus leaned back as he started to laugh. "Dude, you have Cherokee blood in ya. How many of your dad's relatives have you seen that actually have a beard?"

"You're right." Cooper closed his eyes as a wave of nausea hit him. "I'm hoping the radiation is working." He shook his head. "Not sure what I would do…."

"Don't think about it." Marcus rubbed Cooper's shoulder as his eyes began to glisten. "You know you've become like a brother to me. I'll always be here for ya, no matter what."

Cooper cleared his throat as he continued eating his Jell-o. "Don't get all sentimental on me now, Marcus." He nudged Marcus' arm. "I'm suppose to do that, remember?"

**Oudekirk's Office**

Once all the information was inputted into Walker's prosthetic leg he was led to a large rehabilitation room where he would practice walking with the aid of guide bars. Walker's crutches clicked as he made his way over to where Oudekirk was sitting. It was strange to have a leg again and Walker knew it will take some getting use to.

Walker handed his crutches to Alex so he can grip the guide bars. "Okay, so I just start walking?'

"Yep, should be easy." Oudekirk rolled his stool in front Walker and nodded his head. "Okay, now just walk like you use to do."

Walker took a deep breath hoping his body knew how to walk after having a useless knee for several years. He took one small step with his prosthetic leg amazed at how natural it felt. If it was this easy he should have no problem at all getting use to it.

Oudekirk nodded his head. "You're doing great, much faster than most of my patients."

Alex chuckled. "That's Walker for you."

For the next several minutes Walker took careful steps by using the guide bars. He then walked without the bars which proved so easy he was ready for the next challenge.

Walker stopped in front of Oudekirk with a smile on his face. "Anything else?"

"I want you to start going to the gym and get the stump strengthened up." He nodded at Walker. "Lift up your right leg." Walker did as he was told, the movement straining the remaining muscles in his thigh. "Because of the damage to your knee your muscles had gotten very weak. But you'll get stronger."

"Will he be able to go home today with the leg?" Asked Alex.

"He will, but he can wear it for only a limited time. And I advice him to use a cane till he gets more strength in the stump." He gave Walker a comforting smile. "You will come here everyday for two weeks to get some exercise with the leg." He tapped Walker's leg. "Rest up. You may not be tired but your leg is."


	17. Chapter 17

**One Week Later - Christmas Day**

A bright light awoke Angela from a deep sleep and she rolled over to hide her face in the pillow. She was about to fall back to sleep when it suddenly hit her that she was no longer at school. With a moan she slowly sat up, rubbed her face then glanced over at the clock_. Well, she actually slept in for once_. Angela thought as she stretched her arms above her head. _Definitely a good idea to come home for the holidays. _

Angela let out a loud yawn as she flung the covers off of her. The room was a bit chilly causing her to shiver and reach for her robe laying on a chair by the bed. Currently she was sleeping on a camp cot in the small office since Cooper was staying in the spare bedroom. Just thinking about her younger brother brought out a heavy sigh. Wonder if he will have a good day today?

After a quick shower Angela made her way down the stairs and to the kitchen wondering if somebody was working on breakfast. As Angela walked past the dining room she saw her father at the table reading a newspaper.

She sat down next to him with a smile on her face. "Hey dad. How was your morning?"

Her father chuckled. "Well, good morning to you too sleepy head." He folded up his newspaper to get a better look at Angela. "Did ya just get up?"

"Yeah, did you already eat?" Her father nodded. "What did you all have?"

"Your mother fixed some pancakes. There's leftovers in the fridge if you want some."

Angela got up to see how much was left and as she did Cooper came into the kitchen. In the last few months Cooper has lost a considerable amount of weight and was now just a shell of his formal self. But something had changed inside of her younger brother. Even though he was very sick he appeared happier than he has in years.

Cooper went up to Angela and gave her a hug. "Hey sis. How are you this morning?"

"Doing good. How you feeling?"

Cooper was only a few inches taller than Angela making it easy for her to look into his eyes. She then glanced up at his shaved head to see his hair had gotten thinner in certain spots. Why does her brother have to go through all of this? Was it punishment for his crazy life?

"Hey, Angie." Cooper rubbed Angela's arms then wiped away a stray tear from her face. "I'm okay, don't worry about me." A big smile spread across his face. "Today is a day for celebration, no need for tears."

Angela nodded. "I know, I know." She gave her brother another hug. "Oh Coop, you've changed so much. It's hard to imagine you once partied all night and ran away from home."

"Well, a lot of things have changed since then." His demeanor suddenly soured and Angela knew he was probably feeling queasy. She ushered him to a chair where he graciously sat down without argument. "Thanks, sis."

Their dad patted Cooper on the back then stood up by using his cane for support. "Just take it easy today, Cooper."

Angela went to the refrigerator, saw a plate of pancakes and pulled it out to eat. Bless her parents' hearts, they always make enough for Cooper even though they know he may not be able to stomach food that day. It's sad to think he missed out on Thanksgiving, the one holiday he really liked.

When she turned back to the table she spotted her father walking around without his cane. "Dad! Where's your cane?"

Her dad chuckled. "Don't worry I'm fine."

Angela shook her head at their dad's stubbornness. "Does mom know?"

"Nope." Her father gave her a wink as he limped towards her. "What she doesn't know, won't hurt her."

"Unbelievable." Angela put the plate in the microwave, pushed start then leaned against the counter. "What are the plans for today?"

Her father shrugged his shoulders. "Probably go to C.D.'s for dinner." He checked his watch then grimaced. "Cooper, why don't you get ready for your therapy?"

Cooper let out a low groan as he stood up. "Joy, what a great way to spend Christmas."

As his son went back to the guest room Walker carefully made his way into the living room. It was here he saw Love and Dennison sitting on the sofa playing a football video game. For the last several months the two officers have become part of the family, earning their place inside the Walkers' hearts. It actually saddened Walker to think that Love will be moving out in a few short weeks.

Love glanced at Walker then back at the television screen. "You know if Alex catches you walking around like that…."

Walker chuckled as he sat down on the rocking chair. "I know, I know." He took a deep breath as his mind went to the whole reason why Love was staying at the ranch in the first place. "Love, it's almost the end of the year…."

The young man let out a heavy sigh as he put the game on pause. "Yeah, I know." He shook his head. "I just hope things stay calm."

Cooper made his way into the living room and sat down next to Love. "Let's not think about it today." He smiled at Walker. "So, are there any gifts for me and Angie?"

"Cooper!" Shouted Angela from the kitchen.

Walker had a laugh at his kids while he pointed to two boxes sitting on the fireplace. "Go ahead, Cooper. One of them is yours."

A huge smile spread across his son's face. "Really?!" Cooper gradually got up, picked up the gift then sat back down. He quickly ripped off the wrapping paper, his eyes getting bigger the more he revealed. "No way….but dad….."

Angela quickly ran into the living room holding her plate of pancakes. Once she saw Cooper's gift Walker could actually see tears swell up in Angela's eyes. For the last several weeks Walker has been trying to find the right gift for his son and kept coming up short on ideas. Then, after a long talk with Alex he decided something simple might be the most inspirational for their children.

"Dad…." Cooper held up the plaque containing Walker's Texas Ranger badge and other medals he had earned while an officer of the law. "But I thought you didn't….Why?"

Walker gave his son a reassuring smile. "Thought I needed to finally pass them down to you." He actually began to get a little emotional upon seeing his own son stare at the medals in amazement. "Do you like?"

Cooper nodded. "Yeah, I love it." He ran his thumb over the glass as he nodded his head. "Don't you worry, I will cherish them forever."

"Oh dad, I didn't know you received so many medals." Angela picked her gift up and sat down on the floor by her brother. She placed her plate down so she can open up her gift and just like her brother her eyes also got big upon seeing what laid underneath the paper. "Dad, this is incredible." She held up the frame containing several medals from Walker's Vietnam tours. "Thank you. These have to be the best gifts you have ever gave us."

Walker let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you all like it." He glanced over his shoulder as Alex came into the house with Erica and Trivette in tow. "Hey you guys. Where are the boys?"

"They got recruited to finish decorating C.D.'s for the Christmas party." Said Trivette with a chuckle.

Alex went into the kitchen then stormed back out holding the cane. "Cordell Walker!" Walker sunk real low into his chair as his cheeks flushed a light pink. "You're suppose to be using the cane for a reason."

Everybody in the living room burst out in laughter causing Walker to chuckle himself. "I'm fine, don't worry Alex." He flexed his right leg to show her how well it moved. "It's as though it wasn't a prosthetic."

Trivette gave Walker's shoulder a friendly pat. "Even I'm amazed on how quick you've adapted to the leg." He rested his hands on his hips then wagged his head. "Course, ever since I've known you your stubbornness has either worked for or against you."

Alex handed Walker his cane and gave him a look he knew all too well as her being a little upset. This actually brought on some guilt causing Walker to frown.

"Sorry, Alex." Walker used the cane as support to stand up, but his left leg did most of the work. He gave his wife a hug and a kiss. "I'll be good."

**Later That Night**

C.D.'s Bar and Grill was alive with laughter and music as friends mingled about enjoying the festivities. Walker sat at the bar with Gage on one side and Trivette on the other, just like old times. It was good to catch up with Gage who had moved to Austin several months back to take over as Headquarters' Captain.

Walker took a sip of cider then nudged Gage in the ribs. "So, what's it like in Austin?"

Gage shrugged. "It's definitely a change for me and the family." A big smile spread across his face. "Got Travis into Kickstart and he's now doing better. He's weaning off of the cigarettes, but it is difficult." He took a deep breath before sipping his water. "Walker, how did you react when Angela began dating?"

"Honestly?" Walker chuckled as he shook his head. "It scared me half to death."

"Glad to see I'm not the only one then." Gage pointed a finger at Trivette. "Be very grateful you only had boys, Jimmy." He slapped Walker's back then leaned back to check on his daughter. "Seems she has a liking to Cooper though."

Walker slowly spun his bar stool around to get a look at Cooper. His son was talking away with Brianna, a huge smile telling all who was looking he was happy. But Brianna was like a niece to Walker and just thinking of her dating Cooper seemed rather strange to him. But what if it did happen?

Trivette chuckled. "Nah, they're too much like cousins."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Gage took a deep breath as he also looked at Cooper. "How is he doing, Walker?"

"Fighting." Walker started to play with his coaster as his mind went to his son's pain. "Just wish I could do something to help him."

Trivette massaged Walker's shoulder then smiled. "He'll pull through just fine. I mean, look who his parents are."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Walker took a look around before checking his watch. "Wow, didn't realize how late it was." He patted both his friends on the shoulder. "Should start gathering the family up."

For the next thirty minutes many said their good-byes as all in the restaurant decided to end the Christmas celebration. Walker made his rounds pretending to use the cane so he wouldn't upset Alex who was watching him like a hawk. This was the first Christmas in many years that he was able to enjoy, in fact all his family seemed to have some fun.

He limped towards the table where Alex was sitting and sat down next to her. "So, did you enjoy your Christmas?"

Alex gave him a kiss as she pulled Walker into a hug. "This is the best Christmas in years."

"Ah, you two!" Angela cringed as she came over to the table. "Please, not in front of the kids." She sat down across from Walker, her face showing deep concern. "Coop got sick. He's laying down in a back booth right now." She shook her head. "He's been fighting it all night…."

Walker gave his wife another kiss then slowly stood up. "I'll go check on him."

As he made his way over to Cooper Walker was stopped a few times by old friends wanting to say good-bye. After several minutes of politely shaking hands he said his last farewells before reaching his son. Cooper was laying on the booth seat, with a rag over his head and his feet flat against the floor. _Must be having another headache again_, thought Walker as he sat down across from Cooper.

"Dad, I'm all right." Cooper slowly sat up, a smile spreading across his thin face. "Just the usual headache, it'll go away."

"Did you take your meds?" Walker's voice showed the worry he had for his son. "Do I need to go the truck and get them?" He got back up to sit down next to his son. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Cooper shook his head then rested it against Walker's shoulder. "Nah, I took my meds for tonight. Think I just need to lay down."

Walker wrapped his arm around Cooper, his heart aching at his son's weakness. He began to rub Cooper's back hoping it will comfort him. As his fingers traced his son's back, Walker was taken aback by how thin he really was. Will Cooper ever be well again? Is the radiation therapy even working for his son?

Trivette came up to the table with a smile on his face. "We're taking two group pictures: One with just us and the other with the kiddies."

"All right." Walker patted his son's back. "I'll be right back, Cooper."

Walker gave his son a hug, got up then slowly made his way to the small stage. Trivette and Gage both gave Walker a hearty slap on the shoulder then pulled him into a hug. It amazed Walker to think he has known these people for over twenty years, some for much longer than that. How he almost destroyed these friendships still ate at him to this day.

After the group picture with just the adults their children were asked to join. This was the first time in two years that Cooper would be in the picture and hopefully it won't be his last. Walker gave his son a pat on the back then motioned for him to sit down in a chair.

Cooper gave his father a hug. "Love you dad."

Walker chuckled slightly startled at his son's words. "I love you too."

Once the last picture was taken Gage left with his family since he had to work the following the day. Cooper gave Meaghan an awkward hug before making his way back to a booth. His headache had calmed down enough so he can function, but the lights still hurt his eyes.

His father limped towards Cooper with a smile on his face. "Your mom and I are going to pack away some of the gifts in the truck. After that we can go home."

Cooper smiled. "I want to help out." His father's face showed deep concern making Cooper laugh. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Unfortunately Cooper wasn't okay, but he didn't want his parents to know that. He was exhausted from fighting off the nausea all night and right now he just wanted to go home. Hopefully if he helped his parents then they can leave in the next twenty minutes.

His father pointed to a booth with a stack of boxes on the table. "I'm going to bring the…." He chuckled and shook his head. "I should say your mother will bring the truck around."

Cooper gave his father a smile then started to organize the gifts by size. Once Cooper was done he took a look around to see what his sister was doing. He found her talking to Sydney and Erica at the bar, her laugh letting him know she was telling them one of her jokes. Angela actually had an amazing sense of humor, but rarely showed it. She tries so hard to impress their parents and other people that she was always stressed. Maybe if Angela learned how to relax more people would see her fun side.

Cooper checked his watch wondering what was taking his parents so long. He surveyed the room one more time to see that Love had disappeared as well. Well, that was odd. Wonder where that man went to?

He made his way to the front door, walked out and paused for a bit to take in the cool winter air. After a moment of taking in the weather he slowly made his way to where his parent's had parked the truck. He was nearly there when two loud bangs caused him to jump. A scream followed next causing Cooper's heart to plummet into his stomach. It was his mom and by the sound of her voice she was in a lot of pain. Pushing his own discomfort aside he sprinted towards the vehicle, his mind solely on his parents safety.

"Mom, dad!" He spotted movement ahead of him then a flash of light as another gunshot could be heard. "NO!"

Two dark figures turned towards him, one had a firm grip on his mother's arm. Cooper's heart sank to see no movement from his mom. But he did spot his father on the ground behind them trying to get back up. And next to him, Love but the agent wasn't moving.

"Lets go!" Shouted the other figure. "We made the message clear enough." He pointed a gun at Cooper's dad and fired twice. "Streck sends his sympathies on the loss of your family!"

Cooper dropped to his knees as tears streamed down his face. "Why them, they did nothing to you?"

But instead of answering the men ran off leaving Cooper alone on the sidewalk. He didn't want to look, but his heart had to see if his parents were alive. Very slowly he got back to his feet and made his way to his mother's side. Even in the dim light he could see the wound to her head, a sure sign she was killed. He whimpered at the sight wishing he could have done something to save her.

He swallowed down the urge to scream out to get a look over at his father and saw a cloud of vapor coming out of his mouth. A smile spread across Cooper's face to see that his dad was still alive.

"Dad!" He scurried over to his father's side to see he was indeed still breathing and moving. "Hang on dad!" Cooper frantically looked around rather surprised to see that nobody had heard the gunfire. "Somebody, please help me!"

"Coop…." His father raised his hand towards Cooper then dropped it back to the ground. "…Alex…"

Cooper shook his head. "Dad…she's…." He began to cough as the emotions took over him. "Hang in there, dad." He scooped his father's body into his arms and felt a warm, sticky liquid. "Please, don't leave me…." His father began to sputter up blood as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. "No, dad!" He shook his father to keep him awake. "Stay with me!"

"Don't…control…." His father's voice was very faint and slurred. "Please…."

"Cooper!" Trivette shouted from behind. "Help is on the way!" He knelt next to Cooper and took hold of Walker's limp hand. "Hey buddy, hang in there."

Walker looked up at Cooper, his breathing getting more labored by the second. "Please…don't…let…."

"Walker, just save your breath." Trivette shook his head as his own tears fell from his face. "Hang in there, I hear the sirens right now."

Cooper once again looked up and could see a crowd forming around them. In the back he could see Angela being restrained by Erica and Sydney her screams barely audible over the crowd and sirens. He began to rock his body as he felt stillness in his arms. One glance downwards he saw his father's eyes were open only a slit, the vapor no longer coming out of his mouth.

"No…no…" Cooper hugged his dad tighter as his whimpers got louder. "Please, don't go."


	18. Chapter 18

Trivette didn't know if it was the cool night air or what he saw that brought chills down his spine. His best friend for over thirty years was dead in his son's arms. Though he saw no movement from Walker he still checked for a pulse anyway. He slowly looked up at Cooper and when both their eyes met, the young man let out a wail of anger.

"He can't die!" Cooper took hold of Walker's bloody shirt and began to pull on it. "Dad, please wake up! I need you!" Tears fell onto Walker's face as Cooper cried into his hair. "I'm so sorry, dad. I'm so sorry." He began to rock back and forth as he repeated the phrase. "I'm so sorry."

Movement to Trivette's right brought his attention to Love who he had thought was dead. He quickly made his way to Love's side to see he was having difficulties breathing. Where was the man shot? Trivette frantically glanced over Love's body and saw that most of the blood seemed to be centered on the man's left shoulder. The bullet must have bounced around which met Love was in critical condition.

"Hang in there, Love!" Trivette put pressure on the man's wound causing him to scream out in pain. "That's it, stay with me!"

"Walker…Alex…." Love grimaced as he stared straight into Trivette's eyes. "I failed…."

"No, you didn't." Trivette glanced up to see several paramedics and even officers running towards them. "Hurry! Love is still alive!"

A paramedic knelt next to Love and began to take items out of his bag. "I have a male victim here! Looks like he was shot in the left shoulder, but he's having trouble breathing!" He glanced at Trivette then back down at Love. "Keep pressure on the wound."

"NO!" Shouted Cooper. "Don't take him, please!"

Trivette snapped his head towards Cooper to see him being pulled away from Walker by two police officers. "Leave him alone! Let him be with his parents!" He let out a string of curses as Love began to cough up blood. "Don't you leave us too! Hang in there!"

Love's body began to convulse as he grabbed hold of Trivette's shirt sleeve. "I…I…can't…breath…."

The paramedic quickly moved over and with help from his partner managed to get a tube down Love's throat. "Okay, Jason keep pumping air into his lungs. You, keep pressure on his wound." He took some scissors from a pocket in his pants and started to cut open Love's shirt. "Hang in there, mister! Jason, get this man's vitals. STAT!"

Jason shook his head. "We're loosing him!" He gently pushed Trivette away so he can began chest compressions. "Come on! Breath for us!"

Trivette sat back to watch all the events take place before him wishing he could do something, anything to help. Another paramedic team approached Cooper, gave Walker one look then placed their kit next to them.

"Please, do something." Pleaded Cooper. "Save him…."

The young paramedic shook his head. "Son, he's gone." The man ran his hand down Walker's face to close his eyelids. "I'm so sorry."

Cooper whimpered as he began to rock back and forth. "I'm so sorry, dad."

Trivette quickly got up and went to the young man in hopes to get him away from Walker's body. "Cooper, just let him go."

Cooper glanced down at his father, his bottom lip quivering as tears streamed down his face. "Oh God, Jimmy. What did I do?"

"You did nothing." Trivette gently pulled Cooper's arms away from Walker then hugged the young man. "None of this is your fault." He rubbed Cooper's back as he watched the paramedics load Love onto a stretcher. "You had nothing to do with this. Always remember that, Cooper."

**Two Days Later**

The hospital room was quiet as Cooper walked in to check on Cory Love who still had a long way to go for a full recovery. He was shot only once, in the left shoulder but the bullet had bounced around doing a lot of damage as it did so. How did he survive when Cooper's parents didn't? What was God's purpose in keeping the agent alive?

Cooper sat down next to Love's bed then looked up at the man's face. "What really happened, Love?" Tears came to Cooper's eyes as anger rose inside his young heart. "Why couldn't you stop them? Why were you saved!"

"Cooper!" Angela came into the room and quickly wrapped her arms around his chest. "What do you think you're doing!"

"It's not fair! Why is he alive when our parents were killed!" His weakened body collapsed to the ground as his world began to fade. "Why did they have to die?" He began to cry into Angela's shoulder. "Why them?"

Angela rubbed Cooper's back as a nurse and an officer came into the room. "Cooper, you need to rest up. You just had therapy…."

Cooper slowly nodded knowing his body needed a rest, but mentally he just wanted to lash out at the man in the bed. Why did he feel so much anger for someone who couldn't even fight back? He allowed his sister to lead him out of the room and down to the nurses' station. Here Cooper fell down into a wheelchair, his entire body ready to shut down.

Trivette appeared seemingly out of nowhere with Marcus at his side. "Hey buddy. They're going to set up an IV to get some fluids in you."

Cooper shook his head. "I'm all right, really. Just need to rest." He pulled his arm away as a nurse attempted to find a vein. "Really, I don't need help."

Angela gently started to rub Cooper's shoulder which actually comforted him. "Coop, you haven't eaten in two days, your body needs nutrients." She squatted down in front of him, her eyes showing deep concern. "It's just an IV."

"All right, just as long as they don't drug me." Cooper allowed the nurse to find a vein and set up an IV in the crook of his elbow. "How're you doing, Angie?"

"I'm doing good, Coop." Angela kissed Cooper on the forehead. "Just take it easy."

As Cooper rested Angela moved a chair over to sit next to him. Ever since that night in the alley neither one of the siblings has left each other's side. Angela glanced at Cooper then down at the tiled floor, her mind racing but going nowhere.

For the last few days she has seen her brother sink into such deep depression she worried he may never get out of it. And the incident today just proved to Angela that her brother's mental state was quickly slipping. Hell, she even worried about herself sometimes. Angela wanted so badly to be strong for her brother, but eventually she too will break down.

She took a deep breath, ran her fingers down her face then went towards Love's room. How did Love survive? Was he shot first? Just thinking about the events caused Angela to sob and bury her face into her hands.

A hand gently fell across her shoulder then pulled her into a hug. "Angela, just let it out." Said Erica's reassuring voice. "It's okay to cry."

Angela shook her head. "But Cooper…."

"He'll be okay, you just need to worry about yourself." Erica began to rock from side to side, a motion that brought on more tears from Angela. "Don't worry, it's okay to cry."

Trivette stuck his hands in his pant's pocket then made his way over to where Dennison and Gage sat. The former stared at the floor, his right foot bouncing as it always did when he was thinking. Every lawman in Texas wanted answers for what happened three nights ago and some have not stopped searching them. Trivette knew Gage was near the breaking point as he tried to deal with the loss of a friend and the responsibilities of HQ Captain. Will he ever allow himself to take a break?

Gage shook his head then glanced at Trivette. "Wish Love was awake. There are a lot of questions that we need some help on." He glanced at his watch just as his phone began to chirp. "I need to get ready for a press conference…." His voice faded as he checked the number on the phone's display. "I'll be right back."

When Gage left Trivette made his way into Love's room and once again sat down next to the bed. For the last two days he has wondered why this man was saved. But even though Love had survived he still had a very long road ahead of him. The bullet had done a lot of damage when it bounced around shattering Love's left shoulder and collapsing his lung. This put a lot of strain on his heart causing him to arrest a few times before arriving to the hospital. Who knows how that will effect his brain and doctors will only know once Love wakes up from the drug induced coma.

"How did you survive?" Trivette cleared his throat as his emotions once again crept up on him. "What happened in the ally, Love?" He shook his head then leaned his elbows on his knees. "Hopefully you'll be able to tell us."

The door opened and in walked Gage with a sour look on his face. "Just got off the phone with the coroner." He dropped his body into a chair and shook his head. "Wondering if I should do a press conference…." His voice began to shake as he fought off the urge to cry.

Trivette swallowed hard wondering if he really wanted to know how his friend died. But if he didn't find out then it will forever eat at him.

He took a deep breath before he asked Gage the hard question. "How did Walker die?"

A tear ran down Gage's face and Trivette could see the man's bottom lip quivering. "Walker was shot twice in the chest. One bullet went in and out of his left shoulder causing no damage, but it was the second…." He cleared his throat as he wiped his face. "The bullet tore through the top part of his lung….. and part of his heart." His voice was quiet and shook with emotions. "I'm sorry…." Gage got up and quickly left the room.

Trivette wiped his face then decided to let the tears fall. "Oh God." He let out a sob as the realization of Walker and Alex's death suddenly hit him. "What's going to happen now?"

**One Week Later**

Every pew inside the church was full as the services began for Cooper's parents. He sat in the front row with Angela on his right and Uncle Jimmy on his left. In front of him sat two coffins, both covered with an American flag and a wreath of flowers. He stared at the pictures playing on the screen behind the coffins wondering when they were taken. Most showed his parents at a young age and some were of when they first met.

He shifted in his seat and felt a gentle hand fall onto his back. "Are you okay?" Angela whispered.

Cooper shook his head. "I don't think anybody can be okay right now." He took a deep breath as their church pastor continued with his eulogy. "I'm not going to say anything."

Angela slowly nodded. "I understand."

After the pastor finished another Texas Ranger came up to the podium and cleared his throat. Cooper has never seen this man before and wondered who he was. As the man talked he explained that he met Cooper's father as a student in Kick Drugs Out of America. Wow, that must have been over twenty-five years ago. Amazing how Cooper's father has left such a legacy here in Texas.

When the man was done Uncle Trivette got up and went towards the stage. Once at the podium he placed a piece of paper down then cleared his throat.

"My name is James Trivette and I was Walker's partner for over twenty years." He took a deep shaky breath then pitched the bridge of his nose. "His passion for the job bordered on the psychotic but that all changed when he met Alexandria Cahill." He chuckled. "I never would have thought those two would get together, but they proved me wrong." He began to play with the paper before him, his hands visibly shaking. "They were wonderful friends, the best a man could have."

Cooper quickly wiped away a tear from his face and took hold of Angela's hand. Uncle Trivette had always stayed by their father's side even through the roughest times of his life. As he talked Cooper can tell that Trivette truly loved Walker like a brother. Cooper turned his head to see Marcus interrupting everything for James, both their faces drawn in sadness. Wonder how this will effect them?

Uncle Trivette let out a deep sigh as he turned his head towards the coffins. "I will miss you dearly, Alex and Walker. Love you both."

He walked off the stage and as he did Garth Brook's "The Dance" began playing. As the music echoed throughout the quiet church a video began to play on the screen. A tear streaked down Cooper's face as he saw how happy his parents were of life. He could hear Angela sniffling and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

She wiped her nose with a tissue then let out a sob as a picture of their father appeared. He was in the hospital and in his arms was an infant boy. Cooper knew the infant was him and his father's smile told all how happy he really was.

Angela laid her head onto Cooper's shoulder, her tears staining his dress shirt. "I miss them so much, Coop." She gave him a hug. "What's going to happen to us?"

Cooper shook his head. "I'm going to honor them, Angie." He turned his head to get a better look at his sister. "No matter how much pain I have to go through, I will get healthy, I will live up to dad's name." He looked at the flag covered coffins, his jaw flexing as he held back the urge to cry. "They deserve that much from me."


	19. Chapter 19

**Four Weeks Later**

The morning sun shone into Cooper's face waking him up from another restless night. For the last month nightmares has made it hard for him to get any decent sleep and because of that his body was close to shutting down. He rolled over in bed to check the time and let out a low mumble to see it was only eight a.m. Though he was extremely tired he forced himself up so he can get ready for the day.

For the last month Cooper's health has declined so drastically he found himself getting nutrients from a PICC line surgically implanted in his arm. Though there were days where he just wanted to rip out the small, annoying tube but until he gets better he will need it to survive.

He ran his hands across his bald scalp before reaching for the baseball cap he kept near his bed. Because of the radiation he had lost most of the hair on the back of his head, so three weeks ago he had Angela shave what remained. It was strange being bald, but according to Doctor Stanhope his hair should start growing back once treatment ended.

Ever so slowly he stood up, shuffled out of the room and towards the bathroom. After he washed up he went into the leaving room to see Dennison talking to Trivette. The former looked at Cooper then quickly got up from the couch. Since Cooper moved in with the Trivettes shortly after the funeral the man has treated him like one of his sons.

"Cooper, how's it going?"

"Doing all right." Cooper slumped down into a love seat and closed his eyes. "What's going on?"

Dennison cleared his throat. "Love wants to see you."

Cooper's eyes quickly snapped open at the man's name. "Why?"

Trivette took a deep breath as he sat back on the couch. "Love is finally remembering things and he's been asking for you." He shook his head. "It'll mean a lot to him if you visit."

"Don't know if I should." Cooper took a deep breath as he started to play with a pillow. "I have an appointment at noon with Doctor Stanhope…." The front door opened and in walked his nurse, Kelly Gibson with a smile on her face. "Hey, Kelly."

Kelly waved at the men in the room as she walked past them and towards the kitchen. A few weeks ago Doctor Stanhope suggested that Cooper get a nurse to help monitor his health while at home. So far Kelly has been a lifesaver since she was able to make sure Cooper's weight didn't drop too drastically. Kelly also took him to his daily radiation therapy since Angela already returned to college.

Dennison checked his watch then slowly stood up. "You have time to visit him before your therapy today."

"How is Love?" Asked Cooper, his voice really low.

Trivette nodded. "He still has some problems walking and moving the fingers on his left hand but the doctor is giving him a good prognosis. In about three days he'll be moved to a rehabilitation center in Irving."

"Guess I could go see him." Cooper's eyes followed Kelly as she made her way out of the kitchen with the IV pole. "Don't know why I have to keep doing this."

Kelly shook her head as she situated the IV into the PICC line. "You refuse to eat and your body needs the nutrients." She taped the tubing on his arm then gave his shoulder a pat. "Remember, its solely up to you…."

"I know, I know." Cooper got a bit more comfortable in the chair knowing he will be here for some time while the fluids ran into his bloodstream. "Trivette, have you heard from Angela?"

"Yeah, she called me yesterday. She's doing all right, got herself wrapped up in schoolwork." He ran his fingers down his face then leaned back into the sofa. "I really think it's way too soon for her to head back…."

"Uncle Jimmy, it's Angie." A smile spread across Cooper's face. "She's just like our mom…." Just thinking about his mother brought the images to his mind and he instantly fell silent.

When Cooper's voice trailed off Trivette knew he must be thinking about his parents. It must be very hard for the boy to cope with what he had saw that night. Cooper witnessed the murder of both of his parents, actually held his father while he died. Who would have thought history would actually repeat itself in the Walker family? And then there was how the siblings have reacted to their parents death.

Angela decided to head back to college just three weeks after the murders to get her mind on other things. As for Cooper, he's been taking the deaths especially hard. Cooper hasn't been eating and depression has sunk in making it hard for him to care about his health. Even with medication Trivette feared that Cooper only had months to live. But, just like his father Cooper worried more about others than he did himself.

Trivette got up, went into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee then made his way outside where he sat down on a bench. The cool late-winter air was crisp and he cupped the ceramic coffee mug in both hands to gather in its warmth. As of late he found himself spending more time alone which he could tell worried Erica. Maybe he should take Erica out to dinner some night, she might enjoy that.

The screen door squeaked open and out walked Marcus with a paper coffee cup in his hand. "Hey dad." He sat down next to Trivette and shivered. "It's a bit chilly out here, don't ya think."

"How's the college search coming along?"

Marcus shrugged. "Can't seem to find the right school, might have to switch my major." He took a sip of his coffee then shook his head. "But I did give it a lot of thought though."

"And…." Trivette said, already knowing Marcus' decision.

Marcus let out a deep sigh. "And….I'm going to go into law enforcement."

"Are you sure this is what you really want to do?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." Marcus slowly nodded as he leaned forward. "Are you mad?"

This question surprised Trivette and it took him awhile to answer. "Why would you ask that?"

"Dad, I spent a lot of money and it seems it was all for nothing…."

Trivette gently patted Marcus' shoulder then pulled him into a hug. "It's just money, Marcus. We'll do all right, just as long as your happy."

**Two Hours Later**

As Cooper made his way down the hallway so many things went through his mind and he wondered if he will finally get some answers to his questions. After what seemed like several minutes of walking he finally reached a room with a police officer stationed out front. Trivette took out his ID then motioned Cooper to do the same.

The officer checked Cooper's ID and did a double take. "Mr. Walker, here is your visitor's pass. You have thirty minutes."

Cooper clipped the plastic card onto his jacket then waited while Trivette pushed the door open. Once inside Cooper's attention quickly went towards the bed to see Love laying on his back with his left arm propped up on several pillows. The man turned his head and one look at Cooper made his eyes go wide.

"Cooper, are you all right?" Love slowly shifted his weight till he was sitting up higher on the bed. "Please, sit down."

Once he was seated Cooper laced his hands and stared Love in the face. "How are you?"

Love nodded. "Doing all right, finally getting my mobility back." He shook his head and brought his attention to a loose string on the sheet. "Cooper, I'm real sorry…."

"You know, I'm not going to lie…." Cooper took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm real jealous that you made it and my parents didn't."

"I know." Love's eyes shifted over towards Cooper. "I barely remember what had happened…." He shook his head. "Cooper, all I know is that your father was attacked and knocked out. Then I heard a gunshot, your mother screaming….After that things get sketchy." His shoulders slumped forward as a tear ran down his cheek. "I failed…If I was just doing my job better, then they would still be here."

Anger rose inside of Cooper, but in his weakened state he didn't have the energy to lash out. Instead he clinched his jaw, flexed his fingers then let out a deep breath. Here was a man who was also suffering emotionally and physically; who blamed himself for something he had no control over. Cooper shouldn't be angry at Love, in fact he should probably be there for the man. After all, that's what his father would do.

Cooper shook his head. "You did your job, there was nothing you could have done."

"I could have done more." Love wiped away another tear from his cheek, his attention going to his left arm. "I'm not sure when I got shot, but things don't add up to me."

"What do you mean?" Asked Trivette.

"I remember hearing one gunshot and Walker was shot twice." Love's voice showed his emotional anguish as he tried to remember the murders of Cooper's parents. "I think your father was attacked….."

Trivette shook his head. "Walker had no bruising other than on his knees and arms." He gently put a hand on Cooper's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Love, Walker had a graze on his right arm. We believe you were shot first…."

Cooper quickly looked at Love's face to see it ashen. "Love, do you remember something?"

"No…." Love quickly cleared his throat as he shook his head. "I need some time alone."

"Don't pull that on me, Love!" Cooper got up so fast he knocked his chair to the ground and nearly passed out. "What do you remember!" When Love didn't respond right away Cooper took hold of his t-shirt and yanked at it with strength he didn't even know he had. "Why do you lie!"

"Cooper!" Trivette took hold of Cooper's thin waist and pulled backwards. "Let him go!"

A wave of nausea hit Cooper and he could feel his hands slipping from the man's shirt. He swallowed hard hoping to control the urge to vomit. Unfortunately the orange juice he drank this morning eventually did come back up and all over the side of the bed. He could feel his body waver then collapse into Trivette's arms.

Trivette quickly called for a nurse as he cradled Cooper's limp body in his arms. "Cooper, hang in there." He gently rocked his body hoping it would help calm Cooper down. "I'm real sorry, Love. Cooper hasn't been himself lately."

Love shook his head. "I don't blame Cooper for being angry."

A male nurse came in and quickly knelt next to Trivette. "Sir, what happened?"

"I think he fainted." Trivette helped the nurse lift Cooper up and onto a stretcher that was brought in by three other nurses. "He's been really sick."

"Okay, looks like he has cancer. Am I right?" Asked the nurse.

"Yeah, a brain tumor and he hasn't been eating." Trivette took hold of Cooper's hand and squeezed it. "Hey, Coop they're going to take very good care of you."

Cooper slowly opened his eyes then attempted to get up. "I'm fine, just get me out of here."

Trivette shook his head. "Allow them to help you out." His voice quivered and he hoped Cooper didn't notice. "Just try to relax."

As the nurses pushed the stretcher down the hallway, Trivette made his way back into Love's room. He brought his attention towards the bed to see a nurse helping Love place his left arm in a sling and another cleaning up the vomit on the floor.

Love grimaced when the nurse slightly moved his arm up and into the sling. "I'm sorry."

"You did nothing wrong." Trivette went to Love's side to see the man's eyes were red and puffy. "Cooper is really sick…."

"So I saw." Love tried to get up, but was stopped by the nurse. "I need to see him."

"Love, he's been through a lot…."

Love's good shoulder slumped forward and he waved for the nurse to leave. "Trivette, I really screwed up that night." His voice was real low as he spoke. "I was near the tailgate, helping out Walker with the gifts when I was shot. I remember seeing four men and I heard another shot…." He let out a heavy sigh. "If I wasn't at the back of the truck I would have seen those men."

"Don't ever blame yourself for what had happened…."

"Trivette, please stop." Love looked at Trivette then nodded. "Once I am healthy I will make sure nothing happens to the Walker children. I owe that to their parents." Love turned his head to show Trivette a determination never seen in the young man. "I screwed up once, I'm not going to do so again."

After talking to Love for a few more minutes Trivette decided he needed to check up on Cooper. He slowly made his way down the hallway and as he got closer to the elevator he felt a presence behind him. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as goose bumps raced down his arms. And when he turned to see who was there, he saw nobody.

"Mr. Trivette."

The voice startled Trivette and he spun back around to see Doctor Stanhope. "Stanhope?"

"Mr. Trivette, sorry that I startled you." She took a look around as though looking for something. "Where is Cooper?"

Trivette's heart sank at the mention of the young man's name. "He's not doing too good. I was just going down to see him now." He raised an eyebrow at the doctor's presence before him. "Doc, what are you doing here?"

"I need to speak to, Cooper." Her voice told Trivette something wasn't right and it made the chill return to his neck. She seemed to have noticed since she gave him a smile. "Don't worry, it's good news."

**XXXX**

After the fainting spell Cooper found himself laying in a bed somewhere in the hospital. He slowly rubbed his face then glanced at the door to see it was still closed. Boy, was this ever embarrassing. Even though he was very sick he didn't want to show people weakness. He sat up, took a drink of water then decided it was time to leave. But, as he got his legs over the side of the bed, the door opened to reveal a very familiar face.

Cooper's eyes got real wide at the sight of his doctor. "Doctor Stanhope?"

Doctor Stanhope stepped into the room closely followed by uncle Trivette. "Cooper, are you all right?" She put a folder down on the side table and quickly checked his vitals. "What happened?"

"I just fainted." He took a look at uncle Trivette then back at his doctor. "Why are you doing here?"

"I couldn't wait to tell you the good news." Doctor Stanhope opened the folder, took out an MRI scan then shook her head. "I'm sorry, I normally don't get excited, but this is a miracle." She went to a light box on the other side of the room and slipped the film into a clip. ""Now, I couldn't believe my eyes, so I had another Neurosurgeon from Parkland look at it."

Cooper slowly got up to take a look at his MRI scan and what he saw got him to look back at the doctor. "This possibly can't be my brain…."

Doctor Stanhope nodded. "It is, Cooper." She smiled as she stepped up to him. "Your tumor is completely gone. Now, it could just be dormant, but if it was, there should be some shadows of it." She pointed to the MRI film with a pen to show him where the tumor use to be. "I will need to do some more tests, but I believe you are in full remission."

Cooper was so stunned by the news he nearly fainted once again. Instead he went back to the bed, sat down then stared at his thin hands. How could that be? A tumor doesn't just disappear, that only happened in movies. How could he be so lucky?

"Doctor Stanhope, so he's cured?" Asked Trivette, breaking the silence.

"I'm not going to go that far, yet." She went up to Cooper and opened up the folder. "I'm going to stop the radiation treatment right away and start putting you on medication that should help get you healthy."

Cooper shook his head. "Why have I been so sick?"

"You've been through a lot." Doctor Stanhope gave Cooper a nod and patted his shoulder. "Why don't you try to sleep and I'll be back in an hour."


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note - This chapter is pretty short, but I wanted to just give a hint into the future. I plan on filling the gap with another sequel to this story. :)**

**Harvard University**

After her class Angela headed back to her apartment which she now shared with a young woman named, Sky. For awhile, after her argument with Katie Angela had lived alone but found it difficult to keep up with the bills. And it took several days for Angela to realize she may need help, a weakness she didn't want to admit. So, after a short roommate hunt Angela met Sky and both became friends immediately.

Angela turned off the main street and down a quiet, tree lined lane towards her apartment building. As Angela parked her car in front of a century old brownstone her cell phone began to chirp. Most of the time she would be irritated at the distraction, however the ring tone told her the call was from her brother's cell.

"Cooper! Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, Angie I'm good." His voice sounded unusually chipper. "How are you?"

Angela nodded. "I'm fine. Cooper, what's going on?"

There was a long pause before her brother answered. "Angie, the tumor is gone."

It took several seconds before Cooper's words registered inside Angela's mind. "Wait, what?" She quickly got out of her car, too excited to stay still. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, Doctor Stanhope just showed me my MRI scan." Cooper chuckled. "Angie, it's gone."

"Oh my God!" Angela squealed making a few people to look at her. "Cooper, that is great news! I wish I was there…." Her voice cracked as tears streamed down her face. "In a few months I have some time off for spring break. When I'm home, we're going to celebrate."

Cooper let out a laugh so similar to their father's Angela's joyous attitude quickly vanished. Though rebellious and hot-headed, Cooper still acted eerily like their father. Wonder how he will be like as an adult?

"I also got my results back from the GED test." Cooper paused for several seconds. "I passed, Angie. Now I just need to find a college that will take me."

Angela quickly wiped away the tears from her face. "I have faith in you." She took a deep, shaky breath. "Oh, Coop! I'm so proud of you!"

"I know, Angie." He took a deep breath. "I gotta get going. But I'll call you later."

When her brother hung up Angela quickly ran into the brownstone, up a flight of stairs and to her third floor apartment. Once inside she made a beeline straight to her room and closed the door behind her.

She fell against the door as tears began to stream down her face. All the emotions she has walled up for the last several weeks finally came to the surface. Why did their parents have to die? Why couldn't they be here right now to experience Cooper's miracle?

**Ten Years Later**

The day has arrived and Cooper's nerves were so intense he couldn't stop his hands from shaking. He took a deep breath hoping to control the urge for him to vomit. Why was he so nervous? Today was the beginning of a new start for him, a chance to prove that he was indeed his father's son.

Cooper splashed some water on his face then ran his fingers through his short hair. After he took several deep breaths he made his way out of the bathroom and to the stairs. It was here that his emotions got the better of him and he felt the tears coming to his eyes.

For the last several years Cooper has pushed himself near to the breaking point in order to get himself healthy. He wanted to show people that he was a different person, he was no longer the Cooper of old. Unfortunately that met locking away all his emotions so people wouldn't worry about him.

He slowly sat down on the floor, his knees drawn up to his chest. While serving his time in the Marine Corps he never allowed his emotions to get the best of him and now he felt foolish for crying. Why was he acting so weak right now? He took a deep, shaky breath and once he was finally calm he stood back up.

Once downstairs he went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and a bagel. As he sat down on the breakfast table his cell phone began to chirp. One look at the display told him it was his friend Marcus.

Cooper flipped the phone open with a smile. "Aren't ya suppose to be working?"

"Coop, you will find that being a DPS officer can be very tediously boring."

"How can being a detective be so boring?"

"I'm still a rookie, I don't get the big cases yet."

Cooper chuckled at his friend. "How's Jimmy doing?"

"He's Jimmy. I don't think that boy will ever settle down." Marcus laughed as he talked about his little brother. "Last I heard from him he was in Egypt." His friend let out a heavy sigh before speaking again. "Wish ya were up here in Fort Worth so I could take you out for dinner and a few beers."

Cooper nodded in agreement. "You know the DPS puts you wherever there is a spot open and with me being fluent in Spanish, McAllen seems the logical place for me." He let out a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the nape of his neck. "Well, I should get going. Don't want to be late for my first day of work."

**Dallas, Texas**

After he hung up with his friend, Marcus finished his breakfast and threw a few dollars on the table. As he pushed his chair back his eyes fell upon a television hanging on the wall before him. A huge smile spread across his face to see Angela Walker talking to a group of reporters about a case she was currently working on. There was no doubt that Angela will become an assistant distract attorney, the only question was: Which county will she run for? It would be weird if Angela became Marcus' boss.

"Hey, leaving so soon?"

A huge smile spread across his face at hearing Love's voice. "Love, how's it going?"

Love shrugged. "Doing all right, Patrick is starting to walk. Which means I now have a toddler on my hands." The older man sat down across from Marcus, a huge smile on his face. "How's Dallas PD treating you?"

"Doing all right, just hoping a big a case will show up soon." Marcus took a drink of water and nodded at the television. "Angela is getting her name out there. Some say she's just like her mother and in a few years could start running for an assistant d.a. position." He shook his head as he thought about his best friend. "And now Cooper is on that road to follow in his dad's footsteps."

The older man leaned back into his chair, the smile fading from his face. "Just wish we could find the people that killed their parents."

"If we don't, Coop will." Marcus' eyes went back to the television to see a story about Cooper and how it was his first day as a DPS officer. "I have a few years in Homicide, maybe I'll be able to find something that others haven't."

"Just don't push yourself. Remember, we need you in the Rangers." Love checked his watch then shook his head. "I should get going, I have to interrogate a witness in a murder." He let out a heavy sigh. "If you talk to Coop again, tell him I said hi."

**Fort Worth**

Inside a nondescript building near downtown Fort Worth Angela made her way back to her office. Once inside the small room she closed the door and took in a much needed deep breath of relief. She will definitely need a drink after this case is over. Maybe she should take a few days off to travel south to visit Cooper?

She quickly went to her desk, sat down then took out her cell phone. While she dialed Cooper's number her eyes fell upon a picture taken four years ago after her brother returned home from Afghanistan. It was in this picture that Cooper looked so much like their father. Wonder if he will ever grow the beard again?

"Sis!"

Cooper's voice brought Angela back to the present and a smile spread across her face.

"Coop! Just calling to see how you're doing on your first day in DPS."

"Well, I just got into work so I don't know yet." Cooper chuckled, a sound eerily familiar to their father's laugh. "I do know this tie business is going to drive me nuts."

Angela laughed at her brother as she pictured him fidgeting around with the blue tie DPS officers wore as part of their uniform. "You need to send me a picture of you all decked out in your new uniform."

"Guess I could." Cooper let out a heavy sigh. "I'm starting real late, sis. By the time I do my required years in DPS I'll be in my mid-thirties."

"Don't worry, Coop. Remember, dad also went into the Rangers real late and look what he accomplished." She smiled at her brother hoping he would hear it in her voice and relax. "Just don't push yourself."

"I'll try not to." Cooper chuckled then let out a sigh. "Well, work calls. See ya around, sis."

When Angela hung up the phone she quickly dabbed the tears from her eyes. Her brother has changed so much since their parents death that she worried he was pushing himself to hard. Cooper never allowed himself to relax, he was always doing something to either keep himself busy or to prove to all he was his father's son.

Angela picked up a picture of their father and mother then ran a thumb across the image. "Oh mom, dad you would be so proud of him." She put the photo down to once again look at the photo of her and Cooper. "I just hope he doesn't become like you dad. I hope he'll be able to break away from the past."


End file.
